v'L,V'^.'^-'^''''f' 


^,r/ 


1 1  '- 


l.-^V^^     ^' 


'in; 


Wi;^iS4i5^^ 


V  V''*  V^'V'-; 


;!"'  .'^^ 


■c^^-"'       •''^' 


NOV  27  1920 


BS   2415    .K45    1920  ^^ 

Kent,  Charles  Foster,  1867- 

Jesus'  principles  of  living 


The    Bible's     Message    to     Modern    Liff 


Jesus'  Principles  of  Livin 


BY 

CHARLES  FOSTER  KENT,  Ph.D.,  Litt.D. 

Woolsey  Professor  of  Biblical  Literature  in  Yale  University 

AND 

JEREMIAH  WHIPPLE  JENKS,  Ph.D.,  LL.D. 

Research  Professor  of  Government  and  Public  Administration 
in  New  York  University 


New  York 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 
1920 


Copyright,  1920 
By  CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 


CONTENTS 


PAGB 

Introduction v 


Chapter       I.    Jesus'  Interpretation  op  His  Task  . 


1.  The  Religious  Needs  of  the  Men  of  Jesus' Day.  2.  Their  Physical  and 
Moral  Needs.  3.  The  Way  in  Which  John  the  Baptist  Tried  to  Meet 
These  Needs.  4.  Jesus'  Appreciation  of  These  Vital  Needs.  5.  Jesua' 
Consciousness  of  a  Call  to  Serve.  6.  The  Temptations  Which  Confronted 
Jesua. 

Chapter     II.      Jesus'  Methods  of  Work 10 

1.  Jesus'  Adaption  of  His  Methods  to  Different  Situations  and  Individuals. 

2.  His  Appeal  to  Human  Interest.  3.  His  Acts  of  Healing.  4.  Pergonal 
Friendship  and  Discipleship.  5.  Preaching  and  Teaching.  6.  Personal 
Example  and  Social  Method. 

Chapter    III.    God  and  Man 22 

1.  The  Fatherhood  of  God.  2.  Co-operation  Between  God  and  Man. 
8.  Sin.  4.  The  Essentials  of  Worship.  6.  Faith  and  Prayer.  8.  Th» 
Eternal  Life. 

Chapter    IV.    Truthfulness  and  Sincerity 87 

1.  Jesus'  Frank  Recognition  of  His  Own  Limitations  and  Superiority. 

2.  The  Fundamental  Significance  of  Motives.  3.  Simplicity  and  Direct- 
ness. 4.  Integrity  in  Business.  5.  Honesty  in  Politics.  6.  Sincerity 
in  the  Religious  Life. 

Chapter      V.    Personal  Responsibility -^     '47 

1.  The  Infinite  Worth  of  the  Individual.  2.  The  Responsibility  of  the 
Individual.  3.  Independence  of  Judgment.  4.  Tolerance.  6.  The 
Necessity  of  Preparation  for  Responsibility.  6.  Practical  Application 
of  the  Golden  Rule. 

Chapter     VI.    The  Value  and  Use  of  Wealth 60 

1.  The  Standard  by  Which  Jesus  Measured  Wealth.  2.  The  Perils  of 
Wealth.  3.  The  Acquisition  of  Wealth.  4.  The  Trusteeship  of  Wealth. 
5.  Practical  Christian  Charity.     6.  Control  of  Wealth  by  the  State. 

Chapter  VII.    Recreation  and  the  Christian  Use  op  the 

Sabbath 74 

1.  Jesus'  Appreciation  of  Recreation.  2.  The  Psychological  Basis  of 
Recreation.  3.  The  Attitude  of  the  Church  toward  Play  and  Recreation. 
4.  The  Regulation  and  Direction  of  Popular  Amusements.  5.  Jesus' 
Interpretation  of  the  Sabbath,  6.  The  Effective  Christian  Use  of  the 
Sabbath. 

Chapter  VIII.    The  Family  and  Beloved  Community 87 

1.  Jesus'  Recognition  of  the  Importance  of  the  Family.  2.  The  Duties 
of  Husbands  and  Wives.  3.  The  Obligations  of  Parents  and  Children. 
4.  Masters  and  Servants.  5.  The  Rehabihtation  of  the  Home.  6.  The 
Beloved  Conamunity. 

iii 


iv  Contents 

Chapter    IX.    The  Citizen  and  the  State 102 

1.  Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Citizen's  Duties.  2.  The  Authority  and 
Obligations  of  Rulers.  3.  Ethical  Standards  of  Government.  4.  The 
Doctrine  of  Non-Resentment.  5.  The  Obligations  of  State  to  State.  6. 
The  Christian  Program  for  World  Peace. 

Chapter      X.    The  Rule  op  God •  .       114 

1.  Current  Jewish  Ideas  of  the  Rule  of  God.  2.  Jesus'  Interpretation 
of  the  Rule  of  God.  3.  The  Growth  of  the  Rule  of  God.  4.  Conditions 
of  Participation  in  the  Rule  of  God.  5.  The  Individual's  Part  in  this 
Rule.     6.  The  Rule  of  God  and  the  State. 

Chapter    XI.    The  Wat  to  Happiness  and  Success 125 

1.  Jesus'  Appreciation  of  Happiness.  2.  The  Mental  Attitudes  Essential 
to  Happiness.  3.  The  Attitude  toward  Society  Essential  for  Happiness. 
4.  The  Joy  of  Co-operating  with  God.  5.  Community  Happiness  and 
Success.    6.  National  Happiness  and  Success. 

Chapter  XII.    The  Universality  of  Jesus'  Principles  op  Life      137 

1.  Jesus,  the  Real  Discoverer  of  the  Individual.  2.  The  World's  Greatest 
Social  Psychologist.  3.  The  Supreme  Interpreter  of  God.  4.  The  Com- 
plete Harmonizer  of  Man  with  God.  5.  The  Foimder  of  Complete 
Democracy.    6.  The  Eternal  Cosmopolitan,      i 


INTRODUCTION. 

The  world  to-day  is  passing  through  a  great  economic, 
social,  and  religious  revolution  of  which  the  Great  War  was 
but  the  prelude.  Men  are  changing  their  views  on  many- 
vital  questions  with  a  rapidity  that  often  appalls.  Many 
established  institutions  are  being  revised  or  discarded.  The 
immovable  conservatism  and  the  calm  assurance  of  the  pre- 
war period  are  gone.  Men  and  nations  are  well  aware  that  they 
are  faring  forth  on  uncharted  seas.  These  facts  explain  why 
they  are  turning  to  the  teachings  of  Jesus  with  new  interest 
and  eagerness.  Statesmen,  leaders  in  industry,  and  scientists 
are  proclaiming  their  deep  conviction  that  his  principles  of 
living  alone  can  guide  the  individual  and  society  through  the 
social,  political,  and  industrial  storms  that  are  raging  on  every 
side  and  teach  them  how  to  give  to  community  and  state  a 
stable  yet  progressive  development,  in  the  promotion  of  which 
each  man  can  find  real  happiness  and  worthy  self-expression. 

Jesus  worked  and  taught  with  these  ends  ever  in  view. 
He  aimed  to  do  a  practical  work.  The  poUtical  and  social 
conditions  of  the  Roman  world  during  the  first  Christian 
century  were  strikingly  like  those  of  to-day.  Humanity  felt 
its  unity  and  at  the  same  time  was  dissatisfied  with  its  inherited 
ideas  and  institutions.  A  yearning  for  social  justice,  for  brother- 
hood, and  for  spiritual  satisfaction  filled  the  hearts  of  men. 
In  satisfying  the  longings  of  his  own  day  by  laying  down 
principles  of  living  that  are  universal,  Jesus  met  in  a  unique 
way  the  similar  needs  of  the  present  age.  His  teachings  are  so 
many-sided  that  no  one  interpreter  can  do  them  full  justice. 

The  aim  in  this  volume  has  been  to  interpret  the  teachings 
of  Jesus  frankly,  simply,  and  constructively  in  the  light  of 
modern  conditions,  and  to  make  clear  the  trail  that  Jesus  blazed 
by  which  each  man  may  find  the  larger  life  in  union  and  co-opera- 
tion with  the  eternal  Source  of  all  life.  Above  all,  the  endeavor 
throughout  has  been  to  formulate  the  vital  questions  that  now 
confront  the  citizens  of  every  country  and  to  help  them  in  the 
light  of  Jesus'  principles  of  living  to  think  them  through  and 
to  reach  a  true  and  practical  solution. 


vi  Introduction 

This  volume  is  intended  for  the  general  reader  as  well  as 
for  college  and  adult  classes.  It  may  be  used  for  a  rapid  twelve- 
week  survey  of  Jesus'  practical  philosophy  of  life,  but  can  best 
be  studied  more  leisurely,  with  pauses  for  detailed  investigation 
and  discussion  at  the  points  where  the  interests  of  the  class 
focus.  It  is  also  suggested  that,  as  a  background  for  the  study, 
the  members  of  the  class  read  the  continuous  older  record  of 
Jesus'  life  and  work  as  it  is  presented  in  the  modem  translation 
found  m  pages  1-61  of  the  Shorter  Bible  —  The  New  Testament, 
from  which  the  Biblical  passages  in  the  present  volume  are 
quoted. 

Books  OF  Refebence. 

The  books  of  reference  here  suggested  have  been  carefully 
selected  in  order  that  each  student  may  have  for  his  individual 
use  a  practical  working  library.  The  writers  do  not  indorse 
all  the  views  expressed  in  the  books,  but  they  will  be  found 
suggestive  and  helpful.  The  following  should  be  at  hand  for 
constant  reference: 

Kent,  C.  F.,  The  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus, 
Contains  the  leading  social  teachings  of  the  prophets  and  sages 
and  of  Jesus  and  Paul  arranged  in  chronological  order  and 
interpreted  in  the  light  both  of  their  original  setting  and  of 
modem  social  conditions.    Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

Cooley,  C.  H.,  Social  Organization.  An  excellent  work 
giving  the  fundamental  principles  of  social  organization,  which 
will  form  a  valuable  basis  for  judging  the  scientific  worth  of 
Jesus'  teachings.    Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

Follett,  M.  P.,  The  New  State.  A  suggestive  work  which 
breaks  away  from  the  old  forms  of  political  organization  and 
makes  suggestions  for  practical  work  that  will  serve  as  a  valuable 
means  of  stmiulating  thought.  Very  helpful,^  but  not  always 
to  be  accepted  without  question  as  the  final  judgment  on  the 
topics  discussed.    Longmans,  Green  &  Company,  New  York. 

For  further  parallel  study  the  following  books  are  suggested: 

Glover,  T.  R.,  The  Jesus  of  History.  A  fresh,  vivid  study 
of  the  personality  and  work  of  the  Founder  of  Christianity. 
Association  Press,  New  York. 

Kent,  C.  F.,  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus  (Vol.  V  of 
The  Historical  Bible.)  Like  the  other  volumes  of  this  series  it 
contains  a  modern  translation  of  the  oldest  records,  arranged 


Introduction  vii 

in  chronological  order,  with  the  historical,  geographical  and 
archaeological  notes  required  for  their  clear  understanding. 
Charles  Scribner's  Sons,  New  York. 

Jenks,  J.  W.,  Governmental  Action  for  Social  Welfare.  The 
Macmillan  Company,  New  York. 

Ross,  G.  A.  J.,  The  Universality  of  Jesus.  A  broad  and 
stimulating  presentation  of  the  significance  of  the  work  and 
teachings  of  Jesus  in  their  larger  world  relations.  F.  H.  Revell 
Co.,  New  York. 

Fosdick,  H.  E.,  The  Meaning  of  Prayer.  A  thoughtful, 
constructive,  and  inspiring  discussion  of  the  various  aspects  of 
this  vital  subject.    Association  Press,  New  York. 

Edwards,  R.  H.,  Popular  Amusements.  A  careful  study j^of 
the  different  forms  of  popular  amusement  in  order  to  deter- 
mine the  best  ways  in  which  to  develop  the  values  and  eliminate 
the  evils  inherent  in  each.    Association  Press,  New  York. 

Hartshorne,  H.,  Childhood  and  Character.  An  original  and 
constructive  presentation  of  the  characteristics  of  boys  and 
girls  and  of  the  practical  ways  in  which  parents  and  teachers 
may  co-operate  in  their  development.    Pilgrim  Press,  Boston. 

Hilty,  Karl,  Happiness.  A  sane  and  satisfactory  discussion 
of  this  theme  by  this  eminent  Swiss  jurist.  The  Macmillan 
Company,  New  York. 

Jenks,  J.  W.,  Principles  of  Politics.  A  discussion  which 
dwells  upon  the  motives  of  political  action  and  the  impelling 
forces  that  gidde  the  various  departments  of  government.  The 
Columbia  University  Press,  New  York. 


CHAPTER  I. 

JESUS'  INTERPRETATION  OF  HIS  TASK. 

Parallel  Readings. 
Kent,  Historical  Bible,  Vol.  V,  The  Life  and  Teachings  of  Jesus,  pp. 
62-69. 

Glover,  The  Jesus  of  History,  pp.  63-72. 
Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  3-50. 
Follett,  The  New  State,  pp.  3-15. 

At  this  time  Jesus  exclaimed,  "I  praise  thee,  Father,  Lord  of  heaven 
and  earth,  that  though  thou  hast  hidden  these  things  from  the  wise  and 
learned,  thou  hast  revealed  them  to  those  who  are  untaught;  yes,  Father, 
for  such  has  been  thy  gracious  purpose.  Everything  has  been  revealed  to 
me  by  my  Father,  and  no  one  knows  the  Son  but  the  Father,  nor  does 
any  one  know  the  Father  except  the  Son  and  him  to  whom  the  Son  will 
reveal  him."  —  Matt.  11:  25-27. 

At  sight  of  the  crowds,  harassed  and  scattered  like  sheep  without  a 
shepherd,  he  was  filled  with  pity.  ...  —  Matt.  9:  36. 

And  after  he  had  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights  he  was  hungry. 
Then  the  tempter  came  and  said  to  him,  "If  you  are  the  Son  of  God, 
command  these  stones  to  become  bread."    But  he  answered,  "  It  is  written, 
'Man  is  not  to  hve  on  bread  alone. 
But  on  every  word  that  comes  from  God.'  " 
Then  the  devil  took  him  to  the  holy  city  and,  setting  him  on  the 
pinnacle  of  the  Temple,  said  to  him,  "If  you  are  the  Son  of  God,  throw 
yourself  down;  for  it  is  written, 

'He  will  give  his  angels  charge  of  you, 
And  on  their  hands  they  will  bear  you  up, 
Lest  you  strike  your  foot  against  a  stone.'  " 
Jesus  said  to  him,  "It  is  also  written, 

*  You  shall  not  tempt  the  Lord  your  God.'  " 
Once  more  the  devil  took  him  to  a  high  mountain  and  showed  him  aU 
the  kingdoms  of  the  world  and  their  glory,  and  he  said  to  him,  "All  these 
things  I  wiU  give  you  if  you  will  fall  down  and  worship  me."    Then  Jesus 
said  to  him,  "Away  with  you,  Satan!  for  it  is  written, 
'You  shall  worship  the  Lord  your  God, 

And  him  only  shall  you  serve.'  "  —  Matt.  4:  S-IO.    {Shorter  Bible 
translation.) 

I. 

The  Religious  Needs  of  the  Men  of  Jesus^  Day. 
To  understand  and  appreciate  the  work  and  teachings  of 
Jesus  it  is  necessary  to  appreciate  the  needs  of  the  men  and 
women  to  whom  he  spoke.     Throughout  all  history  men's 

1 


2  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

faith  regarding  God  and  his  relation  to  them  has  been  powerfully 
influenced  by  their  own  political  life  and  organization.  With 
the  exceptibn  of  one  brief  period,  supreme  temporal  authority 
during  six  centuries  had  been  represented  for  the  Jews  by  the 
mighty  monarchies  of  Babylon,  Persia,  Greece,  and  Rome. 
Potentates  far  removed  from  their  subjects  ruled  through 
agents  the  civilized  world.  It  was  during  this  period  that  the 
Jews  lost  the  simple  faith  of  earlier  days  which  recognized  the 
divine  principle  and  purpose  in  every  event  of  their  lives,  and 
began  to  thiak  of  God  as  a  far  away  potentate,  jealous  of  his 
prerogatives,  who  must  be  obeyed  and  constantly  served  by 
ceremonial  acts  and  formal  gifts.  This  form  of  religion 
satisfied  many  types  of  mind  but  tended  to  destroy  the 
spirituality  and  originality  of  its  devotees.  For  the  ordinary 
man  it  had  become  a  mere  formal  routine.  Prayer  too  was 
highly  conventionaUzed  and  lacked  personal  inspiration. 
Public  prayers  were  long  and  repetitious.  The  Judaism  of 
Jesus'  day  lacked  aspiration  and  spirituality. 

Belief  in  their  pre-eminence  as  the  chosen  people  led  many 
Jews  to  regard  the  rest  of  the  world  with  scorn,  as  heathen 
beyond  the  pale  of  Jehovah's  care.  This  sense  of  national 
sefi-sufficiency  was  felt  in  even  a  higher  degree  by  the  individual 
reli'gious  leaders.  Those  who  could  satisfy  the  rigorous  demands 
of  the  ceremonial  law  were  self-satisfied,  and  therefore  lacked 
that  hunger  and  thirst  for  righteousness  which  is  essential  for 
reli'gious  development.  On  the  other  hand  the  majority  of  the 
common  people  felt  themselves  the  ''lost  sheep  of  the  house  of 
Israel."  Thus  in  their  religious  life  the  Jews  were  divided  into 
two  classes;  one  spiritually  self-satisfied,  the  other  discontented 
and  crushed  by  a  pathetic  consciousness  of  isolation.  Both 
alike  needed  some  one  to  show  them  how  they  might  enter  into 
vital  touch  with  God.  They  also  needed  worthy  ambitions  to 
lift  them  out  of  the  sordici,  lifeless  routine  of  daily  life  and 
ritual,  and  a  re-affirmation  of  the  teaching  of  the  earlier  prophets 
that  man  was  not  made  for  religion,  but  religion  for  man.  They 
needed  to  be  told  with^  authority  that  religion  is  not  merely  a 
body  of  beliefs  or  a  round  of  ceremonial  acts,  but  that  it  is 
something  personal  and  active  expressed  through  individual 
motives  and  character  and  deeds.  They  needed  to  realize 
that  genuine  religion  binds  man  to  God  and  to  his  fellow  men, 
enables  him  to  meet  the  highest  moral  and  social  obligations, 


Jhsus'  Intbrprbtation  op  His  Task  3 

satisfies  his  spiritual  and  aesthetic  aspirations,  and  infinitely 
enlarges  and  enriches  life. 


How  would  you  define  theology?  Why  were  our  Puritan 
forefathers  so  deeply  interested  in  theology?  Why  in  the  minds 
of  many  men  of  to-day  is  there  such  a  strong  reaction  against 
theological  thought  and  teaching?  What  are  the  vital  refigious 
interests  of  this  generation?  How  do  these  interests  find 
expression? 

II. 

Their  Physical  and  Moral  Needs. 

Even  more  obvious  and  appeaHng  than  the  rehgious  were 
the  physical  and  social  needs  of  the  men  of  Jesus'  day.  Asiatic 
countries  had  always  been  burdened  by  the  sodden  mass  of 
those  who  were  mentally  and  physically  diseased.  Hospitals 
and  asylums  were  unknown.  The  demented  wandered  at 
large  among  the  people.  The  blind  and  lame  held  out  their 
pathetic  hands  at  every  turn  for  public  charity.  The  dependent 
were  the  victl)ms  of  precarious  and  pauperizing  charity.  The 
numbers  of  those  physically  or  economically  unfit  had  been 
increased  in  Jesus'  day  by  cruel  wars  and  the  grinding  burden 
of  taxes  imposed  by  the  Romans  and  their  unprincipled  tools, 
the  Herods.  The  public  prisons  were  pest-holes  in  which  the 
Innocent  as  well  as  the  guilty  were  treated  worse  than  beasts. 

Judaism  had  as  yet  developed  little  community  spirit. 
In  this  respect  the  ancient  Greek  cities  were  far  in  the  lead. 
The  Jews  too  were  the  victims  of  their  own  party  spirit.  The 
dissensions  of  the  Pharisees  and  the  Sadducees  had  brought 
upon  their  natibn  the  heavy  yoke  of  Rome,  and  these  dissensions 
were  still  dissipating  the  national  strength.  Patriotism  chiefly 
took  the  form  of  intense,  sullen  hatred  of  Rome.  Hatred  and 
a  burning  sense  of  injustice  are  not  suflicient  to  bind  a  people 
together  and  to  inspire  them  to  effective  and  noble  achievement. 

On  the  social  side  the  education  of  the  average  Jewish 
youth  was  defective.  The  great  social  principles  of  the  earlier 
prophets  and  lawgivers  were  largely  neglected.  Class  feeling 
was  intense.  The  exploitation  of  dependent  classes  was  not 
confined  to  the  Romans.  The  high  priestly  party  that  controlled 
the  temple  and  conducted  its  ritual  was  even  more  culpable 


4  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

in  this  regard  than  the  despised  tax-gatherers.  The  hands  of 
even  the  learned  religious  teachers,  the  Pharisees,  were  not  free 
from  the  taint  of  unjust  extortion.  Many  interests  which 
enlarge  and  enrich  life,  such  as  recreation,  art,  and  popular 
music,  were  placed  under  the  ban.  As  a  result  many  a  Jew 
satisfied  his  cravings  for  variety  and  pleasure  in  ways  that 
were  destructive  to  himself  and  to  society.  The  ghastly  effects 
of  social  immorahty  were  evident  on  every  side.  What  they 
needed,  therefore,  was  heaUng  of  body  and  soul  and  a  clear 
knowledge  of  the  fundamental  laws  of  Ufe.  They  needed 
wholesome  Tecreation  and  an  acquaintance  with  the  conditions 
under  which  genuine  happiness  could  be  secured.  They  also 
needed  community  and  national  organization  and  practical 
ideals  for  which  to  live  and  strive.  They  needed  constructive 
leadership  that  would  help  them  to  forget  their  race  hatreds 
and  class  prejudices  in  the  service  of  the  community  and 
humanity. 


What  do  we  mean  by  public  spirit?  What  perils  are 
inherent  in  a  selfish  nationalism?  Cf.,  Germany  or  the  Balkan 
States  before  the  Great  War.  What  qualities  are  essential  to  a 
wholesome  national  spirit?  How  does  national  hate  affect  the 
relations  of  nations  for  good  or  ill?  How  do  class  hatreds 
affect  the  development  of  geniune  national  patriotism? 

III. 

The  Way  in  Which  John  the  Baptist  Tried  to 
Meet  These  Needs. 
Three  great  prophetic  souls  stood  forth  about  the  begin- 
ning of  the  Christian  era  and  valiantly  combatted  the  evils 
inherent  in  Judaism.  They  were  Hillel,  John  the  Baptist,  and 
Jesus.  Of  these  Hillel  was  the  pioneer  and  John  the  Baptist 
the  immediate  forerunner  of  Jesus.  John  was  keenly  alive  to 
the  more  obvious  religious  and  social  needs  of  his  age  and 
devoted  himself  to  meeting  them  with  superb  zeal  and  enthu- 
siasm. Although  reared  a  priest,  he  violently  repudiated  the 
dominating  ceremonialism.  Intimate  knowledge  had  clearly 
revealed  to  him  its  evils.  He  frankly  and  fully  adopted  the 
principles  and  methods  of  the  earlier  social  prophets  of  his 


Jesus^  Interpretation  of  His  Task  5 

race.  Boldly  he  declared  that  the  axe  was  already  laid  at  the 
roots  of  the  tree  and  that  the  downfall  of  Judaism  was  certain 
unless  fundamental  reforms  were  speedily  instituted. 

Like  the  great  prophet  Ezekiel,  John  the  Baptist  employed 
striking  and  dramatic  methods  in  order  to  win  a  popular  hearing. 
He  adopted  the  life  of  an  ascetic  as  a  protest  against  the  super- 
ficial luxury  and  Ucentiousness  that  prevailed  throughout  many 
classes  in  Palestine.  He  lived  on  the  borders  of  the  Judean 
desert  and  by  the  fiery  vigor  of  his  preaching  and  the  intensity 
of  his  personality  and  convictions  drew  all  classes  to  him.  His 
message  was  primarily  one  of  repentance,  and  he  symbohzed 
the  rejection  of  the  old  life  of  sin  and  deliverance  from  its 
baneful  habits  by  the  priestly  symbol  of  baptism  through 
immersion.  John  believed  and  frankly  taught  that  a  new  era 
was  about  to  dawn  and  that  a  prophetic  teacher  far  more 
potent  and  spiritual  than  he  was  soon  to  appear,  but  he  him- 
self worked  primarily  for  social  and  moral  reform.  His  method 
was  positive  as  well  as  negative.  He  not  only  protested  against 
the  cruelty  and  tyranny  of  the  military  class,  but  he  influenced 
many  of  them  to  be  content  with  their  wages  and  to  protect 
rather  than  pillage  the  people.  He  sought  to  right  economic 
wrongs  by  influencing  those  who  had,  to  share  their  possessions 
with  those  who  lacked.  Thus  John  not  only  echoed  the  teach- 
ings of  Amos,  Isaiah,  and  Hillel,  but  also  anticipated  in  part 
those  of  Jesus.  He  taught  that  repentance  to  be  genuine  must 
change  the  life  of  the  individual  and  bear  fruits. 

John  the  Baptist  laid  the  foundation  for  a  new  social 
order  both  by  his  preaching  and  by  training  a  group  of  morally 
and  socially  minded  citizens.  He  organized  his  followers  into 
a  brotherhood  which  embodied  and  illustrated  the  moral  and 
social  principles  which  he  proclaimed.  He  fully  merited  Jesus' 
statement  that  among  the  prophets  of  the  older  order  he  stood 
pre-eminent. 


What  were  the  reasons  for  John's  popularity  as  a  preacher? 
Why  did  not  the  Jewish  authorities  at  Jerusalem  openly  oppose 
his  work?  What  would  be  the  effect  should  John  the  Baptist 
appear  with  a  similar  message  and  method  in  one  of  our  great 
American  cities? 


6  Jesus'  Principles  of  Livinq 

IV. 

Jesus*  Appreciation  op  These  Vital  Needs. 
For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  oentui^  Jesus  lived  in  Nazareth 
in  close  and  sympathetic  touch  with  the  people  of  Galilee. 
His  frequent  visits  to  Jerusalem  had  given  him  a  clear  appre- 
ciation of  the  imiversal  needs  of  mankind.  Many  of  these 
needs  he  had  doubtless  recognized  in  his  own  experience.  In 
the  laboratory  of  his  own  life  he  alone  had  learned  how  they 
might  be  fully  satisfied.  John  the  Baptist  appealed  to  him, 
because  that  intrepid  son  of  the  South  had  awakened  him  to  a 
full  realization  of  the  same  needs.  Jesus  was  drawn  to  John 
because  he  was  boldly  and  unselfishly  endeavoring  to  free  the 
people  from  their  narrow  prejudices  and  beliefs  and  from  the 
consequences  of  their  own  wrong  acts  and  habits  which  had 
enmeshed  them.  John^s  sturdy  personality,  his  intrepid  spirit, 
and  his  bold  methods,  all  commanded  Jesus'  admiration. 
He  recognized  too,  as  had  John,  that  the  message  and  the 
methods  of  the  Baptist  would  never  completely  satisfy  the 
deepest  cravings  of  the  human  soul.  John  was  the  "voice  of 
one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  'Make  straight  the  ways  of  the 
Lord. ' ''  The  very  incompleteness  of  John's  message  and  method 
were  a  challenge  to  Jesus  to  carry  on  to  complete  fulfillment  the 
work  of  this  noble  prophet,  as  well  as  that  of  those  who  had 
preceded  him.  Jesus  saw  clearly  that  some  one  must  simplify 
and  spiritualize  the  popular  conception  of  God  and  of  man's 
relation  to  him,  thus  breaking  the  bondage  and  revealing  the 
superficiaHty  of  mere  ceremonialism  and  giving  to  each  man 
an  opportunity  to  express  himself  in  service  to  his  fellow  men. 
He  realized  that,  before  the  Jews  could  be  free,  some  great 
teacher  must  help  them  to  conquer  their  intense  class  prejudices 
and  hatreds  and  to  substitute  for  their  narrow  nationalism  an 
appreciation  and  love  for  God  and  humanity. 

What  characteristics  did  Jesus  and  John  share  in  common? 
What  personal  qualities  did  Jesus  possess  that  John  lacked? 
What  larger  opportunities  to  appreciate  man's  deeper  needs 
did  Jesus  have  than  John?  What  men  and  women  of  this 
generation  have  shown  themselves  most  appreciative  of  these 
deeper  needs  of  mankind?  Are  they  always  found  in  the 
churches? 


Jesus'  Interprei^ation  of  His  Task  7 

V. 

Jesus'  Consciousness  of  a  Call  to  Serve. 

Men  will  long  continue  to  discuss  whether  Jesus'  call  was 
natural  or  supernatural.  Many  will  find  in  his  training,  in  his 
unique  experiences,  and  in  the  recognition  of  the  needs  of 
mankind,  sufficient  to  explain  that  consciousness  of  a  divine 
mission  which  appears  in  many  of  his  sayings.  The  answer  to 
the  question  turns  in  part  upon  our  conception  of  the  per- 
sonaUty  of  Jesus.  The  materiahsm  of  the  pre-war  period 
shrank  from  admitting  the  existence  of  anything  beyond  that 
which  could  be  seen  and  interpreted  in  the  light  of  scientific 
investigation  and  human  experience.  Recently  our  vision  of 
life  and  of  the  universe  has  been  greatly  expanded  and  we 
are  more  ready  to  recognize  the  existence  of  unseen  facts  and 
forces.  The  BibHcal  writers  clearly  believed  in  Jesus'  pre- 
existence.  His  teachings  reveal  a  wider  vision  of  the  totality 
of  life  than  that  vouchsafed  to  ordinary  men.  Is  it  not  possible 
that  his  consciousness  of  a  unique  call  to  serve  mankind  was 
also  because  he  saw  not  merely  a  small  arc  but  the  whole  or 
a  large  part  of  life  and  of  the  universe?  Latent  in  his  con- 
sciousness may  there  not  have  been  memories  of  a  previous 
existence  or  at  least  experiences  which  alone  satisfactorily 
explain  that  absolute  conviction  and  calm  certainty  with  which 
he  answered  the  stupendous  questions  which  perplex  the  mind 
of  man?  Certainly  the  attitude  of  open-mindedness  toward 
these  possibihties  is  alone  truly  scientific. 

It  is  not  entirely  clear  when  the  definite  consciousness  of 
his  mission  came  to  him.  The  earliest  gospel  narrative  implies 
that  it  was  when  he  joined  John  the  Baptist  beside  the  Jordan. 
Mark  also  states  that  the  message  which  identified  him  as  the 
Son  of  God  and  proclaimed  the  divine  approval  was  directed 
not  to  the  people  but  to  Jesus  himself.  Even  though  the 
consciousness  of  a  call  to  a  great  task  had  gradually  dawned 
upon  him,  the  baptism  marks  a  great  decision  which  trans- 
formed the  builder  of  Nazareth  into  the  Builder  of  men.  From 
that  time  on  his  entire  time  and  energies  are  devoted  to  this 
larger  task.  The  Son  of  God  has  become  the  son  and  servant 
of  men.  The  problems  which  henceforth  concern  him  are 
problems  of  method  rather  than  of  mission.  Jesus'  conception 
of  that  mission  is  perhaps  best  revealed  in  the  oldest  records, 


8  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

in  his  memorable  words  uttered  evidently  under  great  emotion, 
when  the  disciples  returned  with  the  report  that  their  missions 
had  been  successful.  ''I  praise  thee,  Father,  Lord  of  heaven 
and  earth,  that  thou  hast  hidden  these  things  from  the  wise 
and  the  learned,  and  that  thou  hast  revealed  them  to  those 
who  are  untaught;  yes,  Father,  for  such  has  been  thy  gracious 
purpose.  Everything  has  been  revealed  to  me  by  my  Father, 
and  no  one  knows  the  Son  but  the  Father,  nor  does  any  one 
know  the  Father  except  the  Son  and  him  to  whom  the  Son 
will  reveal  him."     {Matt.  11:  25-27.) 

Why  does  not  the  fact  that  Jesus  went  to  John  represent  a 
confession  of  sin?  What  were  Jesus'  motives  in  so  doing?  What 
evidence  is  there  that  Jesus  worked  with  John  the  Baptist 
until  the  latter  was  imprisoned  by  Herod  Antipas?  If  Jesus 
had  been  a  modern  western  teacher,  how  would  he  have 
described  his  experience  when  baptized  by  John?  In  how  far  is 
the  experience  of  every  man  who  feels  the  call  to  an  avocation, 
as  well  as  a  vocation,  parallel  to  that  of  Jesus? 

VI. 

The  Temptations  which  Confronted  Jesus. 

The  story  of  Jesus'  temptations  has  many  points  of  con- 
tact with  the  familiar  account  of  Isaiah's  decision  as  recorded 
in  the  sixth  chapter  of  his  prophecy.  In  such  passages  we,  with 
our  western  literalism,  are  always  in  danger  of  not  grasping  the 
essential  truths  which  were  intuitively  revealed  to  the  mind 
of  the  Oriental.  We  prefer  abstract  statement,  but  the  Oriental 
can  best  understand  the  symbol. 

The  three  types  of  temptation  in  the  gospel  story  are 
closely  related.  Each  is  abundantly  exemplified  in  the  record 
of  Jesus'  ministry.  UnUke  John  the  Baptist,  Jesus  was  fond 
of  friends  and  social  life  and  intercourse.  To  fulfill  the  strenu- 
ous mission  to  which  he  felt  himself  called  and  to  meet  the 
crying  and  varied  needs  of  hmnanity,  he  recognized  that  he 
must  largely  turn  his  back  upon  wealth  and  its  pleasures, 
upon  the  joys  of  the  home,  the  fireside,  the  banquet,  and  of 
those  quiet  friendships  which  he  in  common  with  all  men 
both  craved  and  appreciated.  Should  he  use  his  time  and 
his  gifts  in  securing  and  enjoying  these  more  personal 
pleasures  or  should  he  devote  himself  wholly  and  completely 


Jesus'  Interpretation  op  His  Task  9 

to  his  diviner  task?  This,  like  all  of  the  temptations  which 
came  to  Jesus,  was  common  to  every  normal  son  of  man. 

The  temptation  to  cast  himself  down  from  the  pinnacle 
of  the  temple,  and  thus  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  the  people 
who  were  continually  asking  him  for  some  miraculous  sign, 
was  distinctly  the  type  of  temptation  which  comes  to  a  man 
with  lofty  and  worthy  ambitions,  who  in  his  eagerness  to 
accomplish  his  work  is  tempted  to  use  methods  which  might 
perhaps  in  the  popular  mind  be  justified  by  the  end,  but  are 
exaggerated  and  sensational.  When  the  learned  Pharisees 
came  to  Jesus  and  presented  this  temptation  in  definite  form, 
he  met  it  with  the  answer  that  like  Jonah  he  would  not  appeal 
to  their  eyes  but  simply  to  their  moral  consciousness.  Through- 
out his  ministry  Jesus  refused  to  use  sensational  methods  in 
order  to  accomplish  his  mission.  In  all  his  work  and  teaching 
he  refused  to  accept  the  fallacious  doctrine,  sometimes  adopted 
even  by  his  so-called  followers,  that  **the  end  justifies  the 
means."  Not  as  the  national  Messiah  of  popular  hopes,  not 
by  miraculous  signs,  but  by  planting  in  the  minds  of  men  moral, 
social,  and  spiritual  principles,  did  the  Son  of  God  accomplish 
his  divine  mission  among  men. 

The  last  temptation  was  still  more  insidious.  It  was  the 
temptation  of  a  strong  soul  to  accomplish  his  work  by  means 
of  compromise.  It  is  the  temptation  which  comes  to  every 
man  to-day  who  undertakes  a  worthy  task.  Sometimes  the 
devil  comes  in  the  guise  of  vested  interests;  sometimes  his 
argument  is  loyalty  to  family  or  party;  he  has  even  been  known 
to  wear  garments  sacerdotal.  More  than  ease  and  wealth, — 
fame,  success,  popularity,  even  the  exercise  of  personal  power 
of  rule  seemed  to  await  Jesus  at  certain  points  in  his  ministry 
if  he  would  but  ignore  or  condone  the  hypocrisy  of  the  Pharisees 
and  the  underhanded  graft  of  the  priests,  and  join  in  their 
struggle  for  power,  thus  winning  immunity  from  their  secret 
intrigues  and  their  open  opposition  and  gaining  their  aid  to 
promote  powerful  leadership,  if  not  against  Rome,  at  least  to 
advance  his  people's  temporal  power.  Not  without  a  struggle 
and  yet  firmly,  Jesus  rejected  these  insidious  temptations,  and 
his  words  and  deeds  reveal  his  clear  conviction,  even  from  the 
beginning  of  his  ministry,  of  the  greatness,  breadth  and 
importance  of  his  mission,  a  mission  to  conquer  the  hearts  and 
souls  of  men,  not  to  dominate  their  temporal  interests. 


10  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

If  Jesus  had  been  speaking  to  a  group  of  modem  psycholo- 
gists and  philosophers,  how  would  he  probably  have  described  the 
temptations?  What  forms  do  these  three  types  of  temptations 
assume  in  the  Ufe  of  the  ordinary  man  to-day?  In  how  far  are 
they  the  types  of  temptation  peculiar  to  those  devoted  to  reli- 
gious and  social  work?  In  what  way  may  the  modern  church 
to-day  be  yielding  to  the  same  temptations?  Why  was  it  nec- 
essary that  Jesus  overcome  these  temptations  in  order  to  ac- 
complish his  mission?  How  far  does  the  same  principle  apply  to 
the  church  of  to-day? 

Subjects  for  Further  Study. 

(1)  How  far  have  the  different  types  of  theology  advanced  and  how 
far  retarded  the  rehgious  development  of  mankind?  Cite  historical 
examples. 

(2)  In  what  respects  were  the  social  needs  of  Jesus'  day  similar  to 
those  in  America  to-day? 

(3)  Give,  with  the  aid  of  the  meager  gospel  records  and  in  the  Ught 
of  the  political,  rehgious,  and  social  conditions  in  the  Palestine  of  his  day, 
an  imaginary  sketch  of  the  psychological  development  of  John  the  Baptist 
in  the  period  preceding  his  pubhc  ministry. 

(4)  How  far  did  tae  teachings  of  John  the  Baptist  anticipate  those  of 
Jesus? 

(5)  What  was  the  origin  of  John's  symbol  of  baptism?  Cf.,  Hast. 
Dictionary  of  Christ  and  the  Gospel,  I,  pp.  863, 864;  j^ncj/c.  Biblica.,  I,  pp.  471, 
472. 

(6)  Compare  Jesus*  experience  during  his  baptism  and  temptation 
with  those  of  Isaiah  as  recorded  in  Isaiah  6. 

(7)  Compare  the  different  interpretations  of  the  account  of  Jesus' 
temptations  presented  in  Montefiore,  The  Synoptic  Gospel,  II,  pp.  465- 
470;  Holtzmann,  Ldfe  of  Jesus,  pp.  144-154;  Ross,  The  Universality  of 
Jesus,  pp.  67-67;  and  Jenks,  Social  Significance  of  the  Teachings  of  Jesus,  p. 
27. 


CHAPTER  II. 
JESUS'  METHODS  OF  WORK. 

Parallel  Readings. 
Kent,  The  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,  pp.  186-197. 
Follett,  The  New  State,  pp.  19-59. 
Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  51-65. 

As  Jesus  was  passing  along  tie  shore  of  the  Sea  of  GaUlee,  he  saw 
Simon  and  Andrew  his  brother  casting  their  nets  into  the  sea,  for  they 


Jesus'  Methods  op  Work  11 

were  fishermen.  Jesus  said  to  them,  "  Come  with  me,  and  I  will  make 
you  fishers  of  men."  Thereupon  they  left  their  nets  and  followed  him. 
And  going  a  httle  farther  on,  he  saw  James,  the  son  of  Zebedee,  with  John 
his  brother,  who  were  in  their  boat  mending  their  nets.  He  called  them 
at  once,  and  they  left  their  father  Zebedee  in  the  boat  with  the  hired  men, 
and  went  with  him.  —  Mark  1:  16-20. 

And  Jesus  appointed  twelve  to  accompany  him  and  to  go  out  to 
preach,  with  authority  to  cast  out  evil  spirits,  —  Mark  3:  H. 

Come  to  me,  all  you  who  labor  and  are  heavily  burdened,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you  and  learn  of  me,  for  I  am  kind 
and  sympathetic,  and  you  will  find  peace  for  your  souls,  for  my  yoke  is 
easy  and  my  burden  hght.  — MatU  11:  28S0.     {Shorter  Bible  translation). 


Jesus'  Adaptation  of  His  Methods  to  Different 

Situations  and  Individuals. 

Jesus  was  bound  by  no  rigid  rules,  and  yet  a  marvellous 
method  is  revealed  in  all  his  works.  It  was  so  simple,  so  direct, 
and  so  natural  that  it  never  obtruded.  For  this  reason  it  is 
difficult  to  defiine.  Its  chief  characteristic  is  its  perfect  adapta- 
tion to  every  changing  situation.  At  first  he  began  his  public 
work  with  John  the  Baptist,  and  allied  himself  with  his  disciples 
and  adopted  John's  method  of  preaching.  Even  after  he 
returned  to  Galilee  he  continued  for  a  time  to  proclaim  John's 
ringing  message:  "The  time  has  come;  the  rule  of  God  is  at 
hand.  Repent."  (Mark  1:15).  But  to  John's  austere  message 
Jesus  added,  as  he  took  up  his  Galilean  work,  the  joyful, 
positive  note:  "Believe  in  the  good  news."  Henceforth  Jesus 
abandoned  John's  method  of  compelling  people  to  come  to 
him;  instead  he  went  to  them.  Wherever  they  were  found 
ready  to  listen,  he  spoke  to  them.  Sometimes  it  was  in  the 
synagogue,  where  he  as  a  traveling  preacher  was  asked  to 
interpret  the  Prophets.  Some  of  his  most  effective  teaching 
was  done  at  banquets  where  he  ate  and  talked  and  feasted  with 
the  host  and  the  other  guests.  When  the  supercilious  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees  plied  him  with  captious  questions,  he  not  only 
parried  them  but  improved  the  opportunity  to  drive  home 
some  of  his  most  vital  teachings.  Thus,  for  example,  when 
the  Pharisees  asked  him  whether  they  should  pay  tribute  to 
Caesar,  convinced  that  whatever  answer  he  made  he  would  be 
convicted  of  disloyalty  either  to  Judaism  or  to  Rome,  he  not 


12  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

only  escaped  the  trap  set  for  him  but  also  laid  down  the  broad 
principle:  ^'Pay  to  Csesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's  and 
to  God  the  things  which  are  God's/'  A  greedy  man's  request 
that  Jesus  act  as  arbiter  in  his  behalf  gave  the  Master  Teacher 
an  opportunity  to  present  one  of  his  most  important  teachings 
regarding  the  value  and  limitations  of  wealth  (Luke  12:  13-21). 
The  pathetic  case  of  a  woman  convicted  of  adultery  enabled 
Jesus  to  shake  the  smug  self-satisfaction  of  the  conventional 
religious  leader  of  his  race,  and  to  teach  the  poor  victim  of  her 
own  sins  certain  fundamental  laws  of  Hfe  (John  8:  1-11).  Even 
the  events  that  gathered  about  Jesus'  trial  and  crucifixion 
were  made  by^  him  the  means  whereby  he  emphasized  the 
essential  principles  of  life  and  death  in  a  way  never  to  be 
misunderstood  or  forgotten  by  mankind.  Life  on  its  many  sides 
presented  no  situation  which  he  was  not  able  to  utilize  in 
accompHshing  his  mission. 

Jesus  showed  equal  skill  in  adapting  his  method  to  each 
individual.  With  the  learned  Pharisees  and  scribes  he  discussed 
the  intellectual  and  moral  problems  with  which  they  were 
chiefly  concerned.  With  the  common  people  and  with  his 
followers  he  talked  of  current  events;  as  for  example,  the  fall 
of  the  tower  of  Siloam;  and  thus  estabhshed  a  natural  point  of 
contact  before  he  led  them  on  to  the  consideration  of  the  great 
truths  which  he  was  eager  to  fix  in  their  minds.  In  this  personal, 
direct  way  Jesus  appears  to  have  adapted  his  teachings  to  all 
classes:  learned  scholars,  royal  stewards,  Roman  centurions, 
farmers,  fishermen,  and  even  to  the  despised  tax-gatherers 
and  women  of  the  street.  Every  human  contact  became 
an  open  door  through  which  he  entered  their  minds  and 
hearts. 


How  far  did  Paul  imitate  his  Master  in  adapting  himself 
to  all  men?  Compare  his  own  testimony  in  I  Corinthians  9: 
19-22.  How  far  is  the  Christian  church  to-day  in  this  respect 
following  the  example  of  its  founder?  Why  has  it  often  failed 
to  reach  the  poor  and  manual  laboring  classes  to  which  Jesus 
especially  appealed?  How  would  the  life  of  the  ordinary 
Christian  be  transformed,  if,  like  Paul,  he  utilized  every 
personal  contact  as  an  opportunity  for  practical  helpful- 
ness? 


Jesus'  Methods  op  Work  13 

II. 

His  Appeal  to  Human  Interest. 

.  Jesus  was  not  content  simply  to  utilize  the  opportunity 
which  came  to  him  through  chance  contacts;  he  won  a  permanent 
place  in  the  hearts  of  those  he  wished  to  reach.  He  knew  the 
subjects  in  which  all  men  were  interested  and  constantly  used 
them  in  gaining  their  attention  and  confidence.  The  familiar 
story  of  the  Prodigal  Son  is  an  excellent  illustration  of  his 
remarkable  skill  in  reaching  all  classes  and  interests.  Youth 
finds  in  the  clear-cut  picture  of  the  Prodigal  the  dramatization 
of  its  problems  and  temptations.  The  experiences  and  feelings 
of  the  father  in  the  story  arrest  and  hold  the  attention  of  every 
parent  or  guardian  of  youth. 

We  of  the  West  have  difficulty  in  fully  appreciating  the 
deep  interest  with  which  his  Jewish  audience  listened  to  the 
story  of  the  Good  Samaritan.  Priests,  Levites,  merchants, 
and  every  man,  woman  and  child  who  had  traveled  the  danger- 
ous road  down  to  Jericho  felt  a  personal  interest  in  the  thrilling 
story  as  it  rapidly  unfolded.  Jesus'  boldness  in  making  a 
Samaritan,  the  despised  foe  of  every  Jew,  its  hero  piqued  their 
curiosity  and  fixed  their  attention. 

The  evidence  is  clear  that  Jesus  spared  no  effort  to  arouse 
the  interest  of  all  the  different  classes  in  his  audiences.  In  the 
story  of  the  man  who  found  the  treasure  hidden  in  the  field, 
he  stirred  the  keen  interest  of  every  farmer  and  landholder 
who,  hke  the  citizens  of  Palestine  to-day,  never  turned  the  soil 
without  hoping  to  uncover  a  treasure  hidden  or  left  there  by 
the  countless  thousands  who  in  the  generations  past  had  Hved 
or  fought  over  this  much  debated  territory.  To  hold  the 
attention  of  the  women  he  told  the  companion  story  of  the 
woman  who  lost  one  of  the  precious  coins  belonging  to  her 
marriage  dowry,  of  her  frenzied  search  for  it,  and  of  her  uncon- 
trolled joy  when  it  was  discovered.  Thus  the  teaching  which 
he  wished  to  convey  was  fixed  forever  in  the  mind  of  every 
woman  in  his  audience.  In  the  same  way  he  Hkened  the  growth 
of  the  Rule  of  God  to  that  of  a  mustard  seed  and  in  so  doing 
held  the  attention  of  the  men  in  his  audience,  while  to  the 
women  the  corresponding  figure  of  the  leaven  placed  in  a 
measure  of  meal  made  its  indelible  impression. 

Jesus  also  developed  in  highest  measure  the  rare  gift  of 


14  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

putting  himself  in  the  other  man's  place.  In  imagination  we 
can  see  him  sitting  beside  Peter  and  Andrew,  the  fishermen, 
discussing  the  problems  and  prospects  of  their  strenuous  life, 
until  they  felt  the  warmth  of  his  individual  interest  and  the 
charm  of  his  personality.  Rapidly  the  suspicion  with  which 
they  naturally  regarded  a  stranger  melted  away  until  almost 
imconsciously  they  asked  him  to  be  their  guest,  and  Jesus  was 
taken  henceforth  into  their  homes  and  hearts.  Possibly  it  was 
in  the  crowded  marketplace  that  Jesus  met  Simon,  the  fiery 
Zealot  who  was  burning  with  zeal  to  unsheathe  the  sword  and 
avenge  the  cruel  wrongs  of  his  race  by  slaying  the  mercenaries 
of  hated  Rome.  In  the  light  of  Jesus'  utterances  elsewhere 
we  may  be  sure  that  he  shared  and  probably  voiced  Simon's 
hot  indignation  over  Roman  cruelties  and  indignities;  and  yet 
we  can  hear  him  saying  to  Simon:  '' Violence  never  righted  a 
social  wrong.  Follow  me  and  I  will  show  you  a  better  way  to 
free  our  race  from  the  odious  bondage." 

How  was  it  that  Jesus  first  appealed  to  Judas  Iscariot, 
the  shrewd,  crafty,  successful  business  man  whose  interest 
clearly  lay  in  the  field  of  finance?  Did  Jesus  begin  by  commend- 
ing him  for  his  able  use  of  his  natural  gifts?  Jesus,  like  Judas, 
was  well  acquainted  with  practical  business  affairs.  Probably 
to  Judas,  as  to  many  another  business  man,  he  presented  the 
practical  as  well  as  alluring  possibility  of  storing  up  his  treasure 
in  the  Bank  of  Heaven  where  it  would  be  free  from  all  risks 
and  available  not  only  in  this  life  but  throughout  eternity. 
The  gospel  records  make  it  clear  that  Jesus  always  fixed  upon 
the  interest  that  was  uppermost  in  each  man's  mind  and  made 
that  the  guide  to  his  higher  development  and  achievement. 

What  subjects  to-day  are  of  primary  himian  interest  to 
boys  and  girls  from  twelve  to  sixteen  years  of  age?  Select 
three  men  or  women  from  your  acquaintance  and  try  to  deter- 
mine the  primary  interest  of  each.  How  can  these  interests  in 
each  case  be  made  the  guide  to  higher  social  and  spiritual 
efl5ciency?  With  the  same  aim,  analyze  your  own  major 
interests. 

III. 
His  Acts  op  Healing. 

Modem  Protestant  Christianity  has  been  accustomed  to 
pass  over  lightly  Jesus'  acts  of  healing;  and  yet  these  acts  are 


Jesus*  Methods  op  Work  15 

related  in  the  oldest  gospel  and  are  supported  by  many  of  the 
best  authenticated  records.  The  New  Testament  writings 
give  the  impression  that  these  acts  of  healing  occupied  a  large 
part  of  the  time  of  Jesus  and  his  disciples.  Jesus  definitely 
asserts  that  they  were  not  mere  signs  or  credentials.  When 
the  scribes  and  Pharisees  demanded  that  he  show  them  a 
miraculous  sign,  he  declared  that  the  present  generation  was 
evil  and  unfaithful,  lacking  in  honesty  and  confidence  in  others, 
and  so  demanded  a  sign.  He  added  that  he  would  give  them 
no  sign  except  that  of  the  prophet  Jonah,  who  preached  the 
truth  so  effectively  to  the  guilty  men  of  Nineveh  that  they 
repented  of  their  crimes  (Matt.  12:  38,  39,  41). 

It  is  evident  that  Jesus'  acts  of  healing  were  spontaneous 
expressions  of  his  love  and  sympathy  for  his  fellow  men.  He 
healed  because  he  possessed  the  power  and  saw  a  need  that 
nothing  else  could  at  that  time  meet.  He  healed  that  he  might 
establish  points  of  contact  and  a  basis  for  the  genuine  friend- 
ships which  he  was  seeking  to  form  with  all  classes  of  men. 
A  deeper  reason  still  is  that  he  saw  the  necessity  of  laying  the 
proper  physical  and  mental  foundation  on  which  to  build  or 
rebuild  character.  He  frankly  proclaimed  that  one  of  his 
aims  was  to  enable  men  to  five  the  full  and  abounding  life. 
To  reaUze  that  aim  it  was  important  that  every  man  should 
have  perfect  health  and  happiness.  Jesus  had  found  this 
perfect  physical  and  spiritual  health  in  his  own  experience, 
and  he  was  not  content  until  he  had  transmitted  it  to  others. 
With  that  practical  directness  and  superb  sanity  which  charac- 
terizes all  of  his  thinking,  he  realized  that  men  must  be  well  if 
they  were  to  be  best  fitted  for  the  arduous  and  divine  task  to 
which  he  was  calling  them.  The  first  step,  therefore,  in  making 
men  whole  was  to  remove  all  physical  encumbrances,  and  this 
Jesus  did  with  a  simphcity  and  directness  that  won  their 
hearts  as  well  as  their  admiration. 


When  and  why  did  the  healing  ministry  largely  disappear 
from  the  Christian  church?  What  did  Jesus  mean  when  he 
declared  that  his  followers  would  do  greater  works  than  he? 
In  what  ways  do  the  physical  and  mental  conditions  of  the 
individual  affect  his  moral  and  spiritual  state?  To  what  extent 
is  the  converse  true?    How  far  is  the  claim  of  Christian  Science 


16  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

that  sickness  and  suffering  have  no  rightful  place  in  God's 
universe  valid?  How  can  we  heal  the  whole  man  as  Jesus  did? 
What  Christian  agencies  in  our  modern  civilization  are  working 
effectively  to  this  end? 

IV. 

Personal  Friendship  and  Discipleship. 

It  has  been  truly  said,  *' Jesus  had  genius  for  friendship." 
The  foundation  of  that  gift  was  a  keen  and  sympathetic  under- 
standing of  the  interests  and  motives  not  merely  of  men  as  a 
class  but  of  each  individual  whom  he  made  his  friend.  Its 
inspiration  was  a  genuine  interest  in  people  and  an  intense 
desire  to  help  each  man  to  realize  his  highest  possibihties. 
This  task  was  made  easy  and  natural  by  Jesus'  genuine  and 
spontaneous  desire  to  make  and  to  have  friends  and  to  be  of 
greatest  service.  There  is  abundant  evidence  that  he  enjoyed 
friends,  that  he  sought  and  needed  their  companionship,  that 
certain  men  like  Peter  and  John  stood  in  a  peculiarly  close 
relationship  to  him.  None,  however,  were  outside  the  pale 
of  his  friendship,  unless  they  themselves  raised  an  insuperable 
barrier.  In  this  respect  Jesus  has  been  recognized  as  a  supreme 
democrat. 

He  held  his  friends  to  him  by  the  closest  possible  bond. 
He  addressed  the  disciples  affectionately  as  ''children"  (Mark 
10:  24)  and  "httle  children"  (John  13:  33).  At  aU  times  he 
showed  the  most  thoughtful  consideration  for  their  happiness 
and  comfort.  Thus,  Mark  6:  31  records  that  when  so  many 
were  coming  and  going  that  his  weary  disciples  could  not  find 
time  even  to  eat,  he  said  to  them,  "Come  by  yourselves  to 
some  quiet  place  and  rest  a  while." 

Jesus  also  held  his  friends  by  receiving  gratefully  from 
them  whatever  they  had  to  give.  Above  all  he  taught  them  how 
to  work  together  for  a  great  and  common  cause.  This  was  the 
secret  of  Jesus'  power  to  win  and  hold  his  followers.  Each  man 
wishes  instinctively  to  be  a  creator.  The  desire  to  make,  to 
build,  to  achieve  is  a  dominant  characteristic  of  childhood 
and  youth  which  in  the  later,  maturing  years  becomes 
established  and  specialized,  Jesus  saw  the  latent  possibilities  in 
every  man.  More  than  that,  he  enabled  individuals  to  see  these 
possibihties,  and  then  he  so  guided  and  trained  them  that  they 
were  able  to  fulfill  their  tasks  in  fife.  To  his  disciples  he  declared : 


Jesus'  Methods  of  Work  17 

"You  are  the  salt  of  the  earth.  You  are  the  light  of  the 
world."  Strange  words  to  address  to  untutored  fishermen  and 
laboring  men,  but  the  event  amply  proved  the  truth  of  his 
statement.  After  friendship  and  teaching  had  prepared  the 
way,  Jesus  said,  on  one  never-to-be-forgotten  occasion  to  Peter 
and  Andrew,  ^'I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men."  Both  the  East 
and  the  West  rise  up  to-day  to  bear  testimony  to  the  truth  of 
these  words. 

The  Gospel  of  Mark  suggests  the  way  in  which  he  trans- 
formed the  crooked,  despised  tax-gatherer,  Levi,  from  a  col- 
lector of  money  into  a  collector  of  human  souls  (2:  13-17). 
Contemporary  Judaism  treated  the  tax-collectors  as  dogs. 
Their  testimony  was  not  accepted  in  the  public  courts  and  no 
agreement  made  with  them  was  binding.  Since  they  had  aUied 
themselves  with  the  hated  Romans  and  had  put  their  hands 
into  the  pockets  of  their  fellow  men,  they  and  their  families 
were  looked  upon  as  renegades.  No  self-respecting  Jew  was 
supposed  to  associate  with  them.  Jesus  won  the  devotion  of 
Levi,  the  son  of  Alpheus,  by  pubhcly  inviting  himself  to  become 
his  guest.  Jesus  and  his  disciples  found  themselves  in  a  strange 
company  made  up  chiefly  of  tax-collectors  and  outcasts.  The 
scribes  and  Pharisees  were  horrified  at  the  sight,  but  Jesus 
accompHshed  his  double  purpose.  He  thereby  proclaimed  by 
acts  as  well  as  words  that  he  came  to  heal  those  who  were  sick 
both  in  soul  and  body,  and  to  turn  those  sick  of  sin  from  their 
past  and  to  inspire  them  to  find  that  fullness  of  life  which  was 
their  divine  inheritance.  At  the  same  time,  in  making  Levi  his 
host  Jesus  evoked  those  nobler  qualities  latent  within  him. 
Jesus  is  ndeed  the  supreme  illustration  of  Lowell's  immortal 
words: 

^'Be  noble!  and  the  nobleness  that  lies 
In  other  men,  sleeping  but  never  dead,  ' 
Will  rise  in  majesty  to  meet  thine  own." 

It  is  significant  that  Jesus  said  little  to  men  about  the 
state  of  their  souls.  His  sympathetic  friendship  or  his  words 
of  encouragement  revealed  to  them  their  potentiahties,  set 
before  them  a  glorious  task,  and  then  guided  them  in  achieving 
it.  In  so  doing  they  broke  with  their  sinful  habits  and  their 
disreputable  past.  Levi,  better  known  in  the  gospel  narratives 
by  his  other  name,  Matthew,  is  such  a  transformed  man.    To 


18  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

each  of  his  followers  Jesus  gave  the  largest  opportunity  for  a 
normal  and  natural  self-development  and  self-expression.  At 
the  same  time  he  demanded  the  complete  loyalty  and  enthu- 
siasm which  he  himself  threw  into  all  his  work. 


Among  what  classes  did  Jesus  find  it  impossible  to  win 
many  friends?  What  are  the  chief  barriers  to-day  that  keep 
men  from  becoming  close  friends?  In  what  ways  has  the 
Great  War  promoted  friendship  between  nations  and  individ- 
uals? How  true  is  the  proverb,  "To  win  a  friend  you  must 
be  one '7  If  the  church  has  in  the  past  made  a  mistake  in 
putting  large  emphasis  on  the  state  of  a  man's  soul,  and  not 
enough  on  his  failure  to  do  the  task  to  which  he  is  divinely 
fitted,  how  can  this  mistake  be  corrected?  Why  and  how  does 
working  together  for  a  great  cause  develop  friendship? 

V. 

Preaching  and  Teaching. 

Jesus  was  preeminently  a  teacher.  He  came  from  a  race 
that  had  always  given  a  prominent  place  to  its  teachers.  With 
him  preaching  was  only  a  net  thrown  out  to  draw  men  into 
the  closer  relationship  of  disciples.  The  so-called  "Sermon  on 
the  Mount"  was  really  a  talk  with  the  disciples  as  they  sat 
together  on  the  hillside  above  Capernaum.  There  is  Httle 
exhortation  in  the  records  of  Jesus'  work.  He  taught  men  to 
know  the  truth,  because  he  knew  that  the  truth  would  make 
them  free.  His  great  endeavor  was  to  open  men's  minds  and 
teach  them  how  to  think.  One  of  the  severest  charges  that  he 
brought  against  the  crowds  to  which  he  spoke  was  that  they 
were  unable  to  interpret  the  signs  of  the  time  and  to  form 
right  judgments  (Luke  12:  56,  57).  He  constantly  asked  his 
disciples  questions  that  made  them  think  constructively. 
"What  do  you  think  that  I  am?"  is  typical  of  the  large,  incisive 
questions  that  he  launched  at  them. 

Jesus  was  constantly  striving  to  induct  his  disciples  into 
his  spirit  and  method  and  point  of  view.  To  that  end  he  encour- 
aged them  to  ask  questions.  With  him  a  question  had  the  right 
of  way.  He  always  held  himself  at  their  disposal  and  welcomed 
their  criticism,  which  they  appear  to  have  given  freely  (Matt. 


Jesus'  Methods  of  Work"  19 

13:  10,  15:  15).  He  even  used  paradoxes  in  order  to  provoke 
questions,  as  well  as  to  drive  home  an  important  teaching. 
Frequently  he  left  it  with  the  disciples  to  formulate  the  prin- 
ciples illustrated  by  his  concrete  teachings;  but  whenever  that 
was  beyond  their  power,  he  gathered  up  his  teaching  in  one 
broad,  comprehensive  statement.  Simple,  direct  and  positive 
are  the  statements  of  the  great  principles  of  hfe  which  have 
come  down  from  him  who  spoke  from  the  abundance  of  his 
heart.  Little  wonder  that  men  marvelled  at  his  words  and  that 
**the  people  all  hung  upon  him,  listening"  (Luke  19:  48). 

Make  a  list  of  Jesus'  recorded  questions  and  note  their 
aim  in  each  case.  What  questions  did  his  disciples  ask  him? 
What  advantage  has  the  parable  or  short  story  over  the  direct 
form  of  teaching?  What  do  you  regard  as  the  greatest  of 
Jesus'  short  stories?  What  is  the  relative  value  of  preaching 
and  teaching  to-day? 

VI. 

Personal  Example  and  Social  Method. 

Jesus  illustrated  the  principle  that  goodness,  if  it  be  of  the 
natural,  spontaneous  type,  is  contagious.  Men,  women,  and 
children  of  all  classes  were  drawn  to  him  by  his  charm,  and  as 
they  associated  with  him  were  gradually  and  unconsciously 
transformed.  As  Saint  Augustine  has  said,  "One  loving  spirit 
sets  another  on  fire."  We  all,  hke  children,  irresistibly 
imitate  that  which  we  admire.  With  most  people  imitation 
and  association  are  the  most  effective  means  of  transforming 
character.  Emerson  has  voiced  the  same  great  principle :  "I  am 
a  part  of  all  with  which  I  associate."  Jesus  fully  appreciated 
the  value  of  this  method.  His  disciples  were  his  apprentices. 
When  he  sent  them  forth  two  by  two,  it  was  to  test  the  result 
of  his  methods.  His  joy  when  he  found  the  test  successful 
was  unrestrained. 

Jesus  also  believed  in  system.  His  plan  was  so  natural 
and  practical  that  it  has  largely  escaped  the  attention  even  of 
the  most  careful  New  Testament  scholars.  He  was  not  content 
merely  with  proclaiming  principles  but  was  intent  upon  demon- 
strating their  vahdity.  This  fact  explains  why  he,  a  peasant 
from  the  upland  town  of  Nazareth,  went  to  the  great  city  of 


20  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

Capernaum  and  there  did  the  major  part  of  his  work.  It  is 
evident  that  he  chose  this  city  because  it  was  the  center  from 
which  radiated  the  ancient  international  highways  to  Egypt 
on  the  south,  to  Phoenicia  on  the  west,  to  Damascus  and  Syria 
on  the  north,  and  even  to  distant  Rome  and  Babylonia.  Jesus' 
great  apostle  Paul,  in  focusing  his  work  on  the  strategic  centers 
of  the  Roman  Empire,  developed  no  new  pohcy  but  was  simply 
following  that  already  estabhshed  by  his  Master. 

Jesus  chose  Capernaum  because  it  was  also  a  great  and 
representative  community  containing  all  types  of  men  and 
women,  and  above  all  'Hhe  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel," 
those  sick  in  body  and  soul  who  needed  his  help  and  appealed 
to  his  sympathy.  The  greater  Capernaum  with  its  suburbs, 
Chorazin  and  Bethsaida,  was  an  ideal  community  in  which  to 
work  out  his  social  plan.  That  plan  was  evidently  to  train  a 
group  of  individuals  through  friendship,  through  teaching, 
through  inspiration  and  common  work,  to  qualify  as  members 
in  that  brotherhood  which  Jesus  sought  to  establish  in  the  heart 
of  the  great  city  that,  like  leaven,  it  might  in  time  permeate 
and  transform  the  entire  population.  To  this  end  he  carefully 
selected  his  disciples  from  a  great  variety  of  classes,  and  with 
them  as  a  nucleus  built  up  what  Professor  Royce  has  felicitously 
called  "the  beloved  community.''  Each  individual  was  respon- 
sible for  a  task  adapted  to  his  peculiar  abihty.  Love,  co-opera- 
tion, and  good-will  bound  them  closely  together.  In  the  face  of 
want  and  opposition  and  misunderstanding,  they  lived  a  joyous 
life.  The  joy  of  that  Hfe  sorely  troubled  the  long-faced  Phari- 
sees. They  bitterly  complained  that  Jesus'  followers  never 
fasted.  He  frankly  admitted  the  charge  and  hkened  their  life 
together  to  a  marriage  feast,  which  in  oriental  hfe  still  repre- 
sents the  highest  form  of  social  recreation  and  happiness. 

Jesus  hoped  that  the  greater  Capernaum  woidd  prove  the 
corner-stone  in  that  new  society  which  he  was  laboring  to 
create.  This  hope  is  revealed  in  his  closing  words  as  he 
left  that  great  city,  driven  forth  by  the  envious  Pharisees  and 
the  treacherous  suspicions  of  Herod  Antipas,  "O  Capernaum! 
had  the  marvellous  deeds  performed  in  you  been  done  in  Sodom, 
it  would  have  remained  standing  until  this  day." 

Jesus  also  labored  in  the  hope  that  the  social  principles 
proclaimed  and  embodied  in  the  hfe  of  the  beloved  community 
at  Capernaum  would  spread  throughout  the  boimds  of  Judaism. 


Jesus*  Methods  op  Work  21 

This  hope  is  clearly  expressed  in  his  pathetic  address  to  Jerusa- 
lem, as  he  approached  it  for  the  last  time:  "O  Jerusalem, 
Jerusalem!  how  often  did  I  long  to  gather  your  children  to- 
gether as  a  hen  gathers  her  brood  under  her  wing,  but  you 
were  not  wiUing!"  (Luke  13:  34).  Jesus'  attitude  toward  the 
representatives  of  the  greater  heathen  world  that  lay  outside 
Judaism  and  the  activity  of  his  later  followers  leave  no  doubt 
that  his  social  plan  embraced  all  mankind. 

To-day  the  world  is  gaining  a  new  appreciation  of  the 
breadth  and  practical  character  of  that  social  plan.  It  begins 
with  the  training  of  the  individual  citizen.  It  is  first  developed 
in  a  definite  neighborhood  or  community.  It  expands  from  the 
community  centers  until  it  permeates  and  transforms  the 
nation.  It  does  not  reach  its  natural  bound  until  it  has  brought 
together  in  one  great  harmonious  family  all  the  races  of  man- 
kind. It  rests  squarely  on  the  innate  needs  and  characteristics 
of  the  individual  and  of  society.  It  is  practical  and  yet  com- 
prehensive. It  depends  not  merely  upon  the  leadership  of  the 
few  but  upon  the  co-operation  of  all.  It  develops  the  whole 
man  and  a  perfect  society.  Jesus'  method,  therefore,  alone 
meets  in  full  measure  the  fundamental  needs  of  the  individual 
and  of  humanity. 


If  unconscious  imitation  is  still  one  of  the  most  effective 
means  of  extending  Christianity,  why  have  not  Jesus'  prin- 
ciples of  living  won  universal  acceptance?  If  America  as  a 
nation  should  not  only  nominally  but  actually  adopt  Jesus' 
principles  of  living,  what  would  be  the  effect  on  the  other 
nations  of  the  world?  What  would  be  the  effect  if  all  the 
nominal  Christians  in  your  community  should  take  this  step? 
To  what  extent  is  Jesus'  commimity  plan  applicable  to  your 
community? 

Subjects  for  Further  Study. 

(1)  Compare  the  teaching  methods  of  Jesus  with  those  of  Socrates. 
(Encyclopcedia  Britannica,  XXV,  pp.  331-338;  Graves,  History  of  Educa- 
tion before  the  Middle  Ages,  pp.  180-184.) 

(2)  How  far  did  Jesus  anticipate  the  fundamental  principles  of  modern 
education? 

(3)  What  examples  of  humor  are  found  in  the  records  of  Jesus*  teach- 
ings?   (Leonard,  The  Poet  of  Galilee.) 


22  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

(4)  Is  the  quest  of  souls  the  chief  task  of  the  Christian  church  or  is  it 
to  help  each  individual  to  attain  the  highest  possible  development  of  his 
personality  and  his  social  efficiency?  How  far  are  the  individual  churches 
realizing  their  historic  task? 

(5)  What  principles  have  been  illustrated  by  the  work  of  the  Emman- 
uel Church  at  Boston  and  by  the  heahng  ministry  of  James  Moore  Hickson? 
(Hickson,  The  Healing  of  Christ  in  his  Church;  The  Revival  of  the  Gifts  of 
Healing.) 

(6)  To  what  do  you  attribute  the  phenomenal  growth  of  the  Christian 
Science  movement  and  the  devotion  of  its  followers? 

(7)  What  indications  are  there  that  physical  and  psychological  laws 
and  forces  exist,  but  as  yet  only  partially  discovered,  which,  when  fully 
known,  will  make  clear  the  processes  underlying  Jesus'  acts  of  healing? 

(8)  How  far  does  the  modern  church  reaUze  the  standards  of  a  beloved 
community  estabhshed  by  Jesus? 


CHAPTER  III. 
GOD  AND  MAN. 

Parallel  Readings. 

Glover,  The  Jesus  of  History,  pp.  87-113. 

Kent,  Historical  Bible,  Vol.  V.,  pp.  134-155. 

Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  66-103. 

Follett,  The  New  State,  pp.. 60-92,  189-203. 

I  tell  you,  there  will  be  more  joy  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  who  repents 
than  over  ninety-nine  upright  men  who  have  no  need  to  repent. —  Luke 
15:  7. 

Ask  and  you  will  receive,  seek  and  you  will  find,  knock  and  the  door 
will  be  opened  to  you;  for  every  one  who  asks  receives,  and  he  who  seeks 
finds,  and  to  him  who  knocks  the  door  will  be  opened. 

What  man  is  there  among  you,  who  if  his  son  asks  him  for  a  loaf,  will 
give  him  a  stone?  Or  if  he  asks  for  a  fish,  will  give  him  a  snake?  Then,  if 
you,  evil  as  you  are,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to  your  children,  how 
much  more  will  your  Father  in  heaven  give  good  things  to  those  who  ask 
hxm.  — Matt.  7:  7-11. 

And  why  be  anxious  about  what  you  wear?  Consider  the  hhes  of  the 
field,  how  they  grow!  they  neither  toil  nor  spin,  and  yet  I  tell  you,  not 
even  Solomon  in  all  his  splendor  was  clothed  like  one  of  these.  Now  if 
God  so  clothes  the  grass  of  the  field  which  is  aUve  to-day  but  to-morrow  is 
thrown  into  the  oven,  is  it  not  far  more  certain  that  he  will  clothe  you, 
O  men  of  little  faith?  —  Matt.  6:  28-30. 

No  man  can  serve  two  masters:  either  he  will  hate  one  and  love  the 
other,  or  else  he  will  be  loyal  to  one  and  despise  the  other.  You  cannot 
worship  God  and  wealth.  —  Matt.  6:2^. 

Two  men  went  up  to  the  temple  to  pray;  one  was  a  Pharisee  and  the 
other  a  tax-gatherer. 

The  Pharisee  stood  up  in  front  and  prayed  by  himself  as  follows;  "I 


God  and  Man  23 

thank  thee,  O  God,  that  I  am  not  like  other  men  —  thieves,  rogues,  adul- 
terers, or  even  Hke  this  tax-gatherer.  Twice  a  week  I  fast ;  on  all  my  income 
I  pay  tithes." 

But  the  tax-gatherer  stood  far  back  and  would  not  even  Uft  his  eyes 
to  heaven,  but  kept  beating  his  breast  and  saying,  **0  God,  have  mercy 
on  me,  a  sinner!"  I  tell  you  that  this  man  rather  than  the  other  went 
home  free  from  sin;  for  he  who  assumes  honors  for  himself  will  be  humilia- 
ted, but  he  who  does  not  put  himself  forward  will  be  honored.  —  Luke  18: 
10-14.    (Shorter  Bible  translation.) 


The  Fatherhood  op  God. 

It  is  significant  that  Jesus  does  not  attempt  to  define  God 
or  to  describe  his  character  in  detail.  He  presents  no  developed 
system  of  theology.  His  direct  statements  regarding  God  in 
the  three  oldest  gospels  are  confined  to  four:  ''No  one  is  good 
except  the  one:  God"  (Mark  10:  18);  "Everythi'ng  is  possible 
with  God"  (Mark  10:  27);  ''God  is  the  God  not  of  the  dead 
but  of  the  living"  (Mark  12:  27).  Again  in  emphasizing  the 
primary  importance  of  loving  God,  Jesus  reaffirmed  the  funda- 
mental tenet  in  IsraeFs  faith:  "Our  God  is  one  God"  (Mark  12: 
29).  In  each  case  these  statements  are  precipitated  by  ques- 
tions addressed  to  Jesus  and  are  simply  incidental  to  the  dis- 
cussion of  subjects  that  have  no  direct  theological  import. 
They  clearly  reveal,  however,  his  own  fundamental  convictions. 

As  has  already  been  noted,  in  one  striking  passage  in 
Matthew  (11:  27,  28)  he  declares  his  own  consciousness  of  a 
unique  knowledge  of  God.  "Everything  has  been  revealed  to 
me  by  the  Father,  and  no  one  knows  the  Father  except 
the  Son  and  him  to  whom  the  Son  will  reveal  him."  This 
unique  feature  in  Jesus'  personality  is  reiterated  in  the  Gospel 
of  John:  "He  whom  God  has  sent  speaks  the  message  of  God. 
He  testifies  to  what  he  has  seen  and  heard"  (3:  34,  32).  The 
author  of  that  Gospel  thoroughly  believed  and  plainly  taught 
that  the  key  that  unlocks  the  mystery  was  Jesus'  pre-existence 
and  the  memories  derived  from  his  larger  vision  of  the  universe. 
(3:  31-35;  8:  42,  58).  Through  the  intervening  centuries  a 
majority  of  his  followers  have  held  to  the  behef  in  his  pre- 
existence, 

Jesus  did  not  impose  his  own  convictions  regarding  God 
on  his  followers.  He  sought  rather  to  open  their  eyes  so  that 
each  should  see  for  himself  the  evidence  of  God  in  the  world, 


24  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

and  thus  build  his  faith  on  reaHties.  In  two  memorable  pas- 
sages he  calls  their  attention  to  this  evidence  (Matt.  6:  25-32; 
10:  28-30):  "Consider  how  the  birds  of  the  air  neither  sow  nor 
reap,  yet  your  heavenly  Father  feeds  them.  Not  one  sparrow 
falls  to  the  ground  without  your  Father's  knowledge.  As  for 
you,  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered." 

Jesus,  with  the  scientific  mind  that  observed  facts  closely, 
evidently  saw,  through  the  seen  and  experienced,  that  which 
is  unseen  and  eternal.  Like  the  author  of  the  story  of  creation 
in  the  first  chapter  of  Genesis,  he  recognized  that  the  purpose 
revealed  in  nature  and  in  life  was  good.  With  his  larger  and 
clearer  knowledge  of  the  universe,  the  facts  that  in  our  narrow 
vision  apparently  challenge  the  justice  and  goodness  of  that 
purpose  did  not  disturb  Mm.  He  declared  that  the  growing 
tares  could  not  prevent  the  ultimate  harvest.  Men  might  stay 
for  a  time  the  reahzation  of  that  good  purpose,  but  not  only 
was  it  good  in  itself,  but  to  the  open-minded  it  revealed  him 
who  alone  is  absolutely  good.  Thus  from  the  contemplation 
of  the  reahties  of  life  Jesus  led  men  back  to  the  ultimate  reality 
which  is  God.    ,     •- 

,  The  vivid  consciousness  of  a  kindly  purpose  back  of  all 
the  phenomena  of  the  natural  world  and  extending  throughout 
the  universe  and  eternity  was  clearly  the  foundation  of  the 
religion  that  Jesus  taught  and  is  the  corner  stone  of  all  real 
rehgion.  That  belief  he  made  clear  and  vivid  to  his  followers 
by  describing  God  as  the  Father.  That  term,  so  rich  in  its 
human  associations,  suggested  far  more  than  the  work  of 
creation:  it  suggested,  as  Jesus  made  clear  by  a  variety  of 
homely  illustrations,  constant  and  intelligent  provision  for  the 
needs  of  all  created  things  whether  they  be  the  lilies  of  the 
field  or  a  king  on  his  throne. 

It  suggests  too  by  the  clearest  logic  that  love,  not  mere 
force,  rules  the  universe.  This  is  the  central  truth  powerfully 
set  forth  in  the  story  of  the  Prodigal  Son.  The  irrepressible 
love  of  the  father  toward  his  guilt-stained  son  almost  shocks 
those  who  have  sat  at  the  feet  of  the  Puritans.  Our  conven- 
tional behef  in  divine  justice  leads  us  unconsciously  to  sym- 
pathize with  the  plaint  of  the  older  brother.  The  joyous 
spontaneity  of  the  father's  reception  of  the  prodigal,  the 
absence  of  a  single  word  of  reproach  or  warning,  and  the  hilarity 
of  the  merry  feast  at  which  the  sinner  is  reinstated  in  his  home 


God  and  Man  25 

seem  to  us,  as  they  did  to  the  Pharisees,  unbecoming  to  the 
God  of  our  theologies.  Like  Jonah  of  old,  we  are  tempted  to 
reproach  God  because  he  forgives  sinners  so  readily  and  loves 
all  his  creatures  with  a  love  so  spontaneous  and  overwhelming 
that  there  is  no  place  for  reproaches  and  judicial  punishments. 
But  this  was  the  quahty  in  God  which  Jesus  always  stressed 
and  exemphfied  in  his  own  life  and  work.  He  sternly  rebuked 
the  leaders  of  the  Jewish  faith  because  by  their  conventional 
theology  they  loaded  men  with  burdens  too  heavy  to  bear  and 
shut  in  men's  faces  the  door  that  opened  tP  the  Democracy  of 
God;  but  for  sinners  he  had  only  compassion  and  brotherly 
love. 

Jesus  left  men  to  discover  by  what  means  and  through 
what  forces,  laws,  agencies  and  agents  the  Father  provides  for 
man's  every  need  and  even  for  the  sparrow  when  it  falls  to 
earth.  To  discover  all  these  and  the  real  character  of  God  is 
the  alluring  quest,  not  merely  of  this  short  life,  but  of  eternity. 
Jesus  simply  sent  men  forth  on  this  quest  and  indicated  the 
conditions  necessary  for  success.  Chief  among  these  was 
purity  of  heart:  characters  unsullied  by  impure  thoughts  and 
motives,  minds  free  from  prejudice  and  bias.  **  Happy  are  the 
pure  in  heart  for  they  shall  see  God,"  not  through  systems  of 
abstract  theology,  but  through  nature  and  the  infinite  ways 
in  which  God  is  revealed  to  the  man  of  unsullied  vision. 


Which  do  you  think  had  a  truer  idea  of  God,  Calvin  or  a 
North  American  Indian  devoted  to  the  worship  of  the  Great 
Spirit?  Give  the  reasons  for  your  conclusion.  What  reasons 
are  there  for  thinking  that  with  the  larger  vision  that  comes 
when  we  leave  behind  our  physical  limitations  we  shall  at 
once  have  a  complete  knowledge  of  God?  What  relation 
does  scientific  investigation  in  the  field  of  nature  hold  to 
rehgion?  Why  is  the  dogmatic  method  even  more  dangerous 
in  the  field  of  rehgion  than  of  natural  science? 

n. 

Co-operation  Between  God  and  Man. 
Jesus  was  eager  to  have  men  view  life  from  the  divine 
rather  than  from  the  merely  human  point  of  view.  When  his 
disciples  protested  against  his  facing  death  at  Jerusalem,  he 


26  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

declared,  *' You  do  not  think  the  thoughts  of  God  but  of  men." 
He  was  disappointed  at  their  selfishness  and  lack  of  vision 
because  he  saw  that  God  could  not  realize  his  good  purpose  in  the 
world  without  men's  inteUigent  co-operation.  In  the  story  of 
the  Prodigal  he  dramatized  the  fact  that  the  father  was  help- 
less in  his  effort  to  rear  a  worthy  son  until  the  son  returned 
ready  and  eager  to  co-operate. 

Like  all  inspired  teachers  Jesus  knew  that  the  freedom 
of  the  human  will  was  one  of  the  fundamental  laws  of 
the  universe.  This  truth  is  not  the  least  of  those  taught  in 
this  marvellous  parable  of  the  Prodigal.  Even  more  impressive 
and  astonishing  than  the  forgiving  love  of  the  father  is  his 
fortitude  in  giving  his  son  his  share  of  the  inheritance  and  in 
letting  him  go  forth  to  a  foreign  land  where  he  knew  that  his 
son  would  be  exposed  to  powerful  temptations.  But  the 
picture  is  true  to  reality.  If  we  were  making  the  laws  of  the 
universe  most  of  us  would  probably  give,  especially  to  youth, 
far  less  freedom  to  make  moral  decisions  than  they  now  possess. 
But  making  decisions  and  bearing  responsibihty  are  the  best, 
if  not  the  only  methods  of  training  and  strengthening  the  will, 
while  freedom  of  the  will  is  the  only  basis  for  inteUigent  and 
whole-hearted  co-operation.  We  have  every  reason  to  believe 
that  even  the  sin-stained  but  penitent  prodigal  on  his  return 
was  able  and  eager  to  contribute  far  more  to  the  welfare  of 
ids  father's  household  than  if  he  had  been  compelled  to  remain 
at  home.  Want  of  sympathy,  of  love,  of  friendship  and  of  appre- 
ciation, as  well  as  of  food,  had  created  in  his  famished  soul  a 
hunger  and  thirst  for  righteousness  and  a  desire  to  co-operate 
with  his  father. 

In  one  of  the  two  greatest  beatitudes  Jesus  describes 
those  who  are  worthy  to  be  called  the  sons  of  God.  The  term 
"Sons  of  God"  arrests  attention  for  it  is  the  counterpart  of 
Jesus'  distinctive  word  "  Father."  The  sons  of  God,  he  declares, 
are  the  peacemakers.  Our  current  English  translation  almost 
completely  fails  to  bring  out  the  rich  meaning  of  the  original 
Aj'amaic.  The  word  translated  "peace"  means  welfare,  com- 
pleteness, prosperity,  harmony.  The  sons  of  God  are  hke  God 
himself,  creators  of  harmony,  well-being,  completeness  in  their 
own  Uves,  in  those  of  their  fellows,  in  the  family,  in  the  com- 
munity, in  business,  and  in  all  the  world.  They  are  the  ones 
who,  by  attempting  through  the  imagination  to  make  real  to 


God  and  Man  27 

themselves  the  purpose  of  God,  think  the  thoughts  of  God, 
are  guided  by  them  and  carry  them  into  execution.  Jesus 
conceived  of  rehgion  as  a  recognition  of  God's  good  purpose 
and  active  co-operation  in  realizing  it  in  the  life  of  the  individual, 
in  society,  and  in  the  universe.  It  was  more  than  a  beUef .  It 
was  a  mental  and  moral  attitude!  It  was  not  only  an  attitude; 
it  meant  enthusiastic,  tireless  activity. 

In  the  light  of  these  teachings  regarding  the  co-opera- 
tive relation  between  God  and  man,  we  can  understand  anew 
what  Jesus  meant  when  he  said  to  his  disciples:  ''You  are  the 
light  of  the  world;  you  are  the  salt  of  the  earth;''  and  also  his 
enthusiasm  in  training  men  that  they  might  fully  qualify  as 
sons  of  God.  His  message  of  good  news  was  far  more  than  a 
promise  of  pardon  to  guilty  sinners.  It  was  a  ringing  call  to 
action,  a  summons  to  every  man,  however  humble  and  weak 
he  be,  to  assert  his  divine  sonship  and  co-operate  with  the 
eternal  Father  in  creating  a  perfect  society  and  a  perfect 
humanity.  As  a  by-product  every  man  who  responds  to  this 
call  saves  his  own  soul:  ''He  who  loses  his  life  in  my  cause 
shall  gain  it!" 

What  was  the  force  of  the  Semitic  idiom  "son  of"  as  used 
in  the  Old  and  New  Testaments;  e.g.,  "sons  of  the  prophets" 
or  "sons  of  the  goldsmith"?  What  tasks  were  left  to  men  to 
perform  in  realizing  what  we  believe  to  be  the  overruling, 
divine  purpose  in  the  Great  War?  What  in  developing  a 
well-rounded  individual  character?  Under  what  conditions  is 
co-operation  the  most  effective  means  of  developing  respect  and 
love  and  loyalty  toward  those  with  whom  we  co-operate? 


III. 

Sin. 
In  Jesus*  practical  philosophy  of  life  sin  was  not  only 
deliberate  wrongdoing  but  also  the  failure  of  the  individual  to 
co-operate  in  the  reahzation  of  the  good  purpose  revealed  in 
the  world.  It  was  the  failure  to  seek  first  the  rule  of  God  in 
every  relation  of  hfe.  The  priest  and  the  Levite  who  passed 
by  on  the  other  side  were  arrant  sinners  simply  because  they 
failed  to  lend  a  hand  when  there  was  work  to  be  done.    The 


28  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

despised  Samaritan  qualified  as  a  son  of  God  because  he  quietly 
improved  an  opportunity  to  bring  health  and  healing  to  a 
needy  fellow  man.  In  the  memorable  passage  in  Matthew  25: 
31-46  in  which,  under  the  figure  of  a  final  judgment  scene, 
Jesus  describes  the  supreme  test  of  loyalty,  he  stresses  the  fact 
that  men  are  called  to  co-operate  with  God  not  in  some  spectacu- 
lar, mysterious  way,  but  in  the  commonplace  daily  relationships, 
'those  who  give  food  to  the  hungry,  water  to  the  thirsty,  or 
clothing  to  the  naked  receive  the  divine  approval.  Those  who 
neglect  to  do  so  are  the  sinners,  even  though  they  bear  the 
label  of  sons.  Even  the  man  with  one  talent  was  classed 
with  the  social  outcasts  simply  because  he  had  failed  to  use  it. 

Sin,  according  to  Jesus,  was  also  a  failure  so  to  develop 
the  individual  man  that  his  spirit  would  rule  his  body  and 
control  his  physical  passions  and  lower  impulses  (Matt.  5: 
27,  28).  To  quahfy  for  eflacient  co-operation  by  gaining  and 
keeping  control  of  self  is  therefore  the  first  responsibihty  of 
youth.  Most  individuals  begin  by  letting  the  physical  impulses 
rule  the  spirit.  Like  the  poor  prodigal  they  only  learn 
in  the  painful  and  terribly  expensive  school  of  experience 
the  lesson  that  Jesus  was  trying  to  teach  in  a  far  simpler 
and  better  way.  He  also  taught  that  the  rule  of  the  spirit 
over  the  physical  impulses  must  be  achieved  at  any  cost. 
*'  If  your  hand  or  foot  cause  you  to  sin,  cut  it  off  and  throw  it 
away,  for  it  is  better  for  you  to  begin  at  once  to  live  the  eternal 
fife  than  to  retain  your  two  hands  and  two  feet  and  be  cast 
into  the  eternal  fire"  (Matt.  18:  8).  If  Jesus  were  speaking 
in  the  technical  language  of  to-day  he  would  perhaps  say, 
instead  of  *'  cast  into  the  eternal  fire,"  "  Be  forced  to  attend  the 
harsh  school  of  experience  where  you  will  be  compelled  to  learn 
the  painful  lesson  of  consequences." 

In  his  simple  but  searching  analysis  of  sin,  Jesus  also 
recognized  that  in  the  maturer  years  the  old  physical  selfishness 
assumed  more  respectable  forms,  such  as  the  quest  of  wealth 
or  power;  but  he  laid  it  bare:  "A  man  cannot  serve  both  God 
and  wealth"  whether  he  be  a  despised  tax-gatherer  or  a  sleek, 
self-satisfied  Pharisee,  or  a  grafting  high  priest.  He  denounced 
these  traitorous  misleaders  of  their  race  most  rigorously, 
because  public  opinion  and  their  own  consciences  had  failed 
to  do  it  for  them.  In  so  doing  he  performed  for  them  the 
greatest  possible  service.     He  turned  hopefully  to  the  tax- 


God  and  Man  ^ 

gatherers  and  the  outcasts  because  they  were  already  self- 
condemned  and  under  the  deep  shadow  of  pubHc  disapproval, 
and  therefore  ready  to  listen  to  the  new  principles  of  Uving 
that  he  propounded.  Looking  at  life  not  from  the  harsh, 
mechanical  point  of  view  of  Jewish  theology  but  'thinking  the 
thoughts  of  God,"  he  told  them  of  a  love  that  followed  them 
even  though  they  had  wandered  far  in  strange  lands,  a  love 
that  would  welcome  them  when  once  they  had  learned  the 
folly  of  sin  and  loathed  it  and  were  ready  to  do  their  part  in 
carrying  out  the  divine  purpose  in  their  Hves  and  in  the  hfe 
of  humanity.  Above  all  he  told  them  of  the  supreme  joy  in 
heaven  over  one  sinner  that  had  learned  the  bitter  lesson  of 
consequences  and  stood  ready  to  serve  rather  than  oppose 
the  reahzation  of  God's  good  purpose. 

In  the  teachings  of  Jesus,  sin  and  its  grim  consequence  to 
the  sinner,  to  humanity,  and  to  the  Source  of  all  life  are  hideous 
realities.  But  that  is  not  all.  He  taught  that  sin  could  be 
forgiven  and  the  lost  saved  by  self-conquest  and  gaining  the 
will  to  co-operate  in  God's  work  for  humanity.  As  has  been 
said,  the  lost  were  the  detached,  those  who  by  their  own  sins 
or  the  sins  of  society  had  either  broken  all  connections  or  had 
never  estabhshed  them  with  their  fellow  men  and  had  no  sense 
of  co-operation  with  their  divine  Father.  In  saving  the  lost, 
as  for  example  in  the  case  of  Levi  the  tax-gatherer,  Jesus  by 
his  friendship  and  his  wholesome  teaching  broke  down  the 
barriers  that  separated  them,  introduced  them  to  a  community 
of  men  who  were  seeking  first  the  Rule  of  God,  and  then  taught 
them  by  skillful  apprenticeship  how  they  too  could  co-operate 
with  God. 

Who  in  Jesus'  eyes  were  the  chief  sinners  in  the  Jewish 
community?  In  what  respects  did  his  judgment  on  this  point 
differ  from  that  of  the  majority  of  his  Jewish  contemporaries? 
What  was  the  reason  for  the  different  judgments?  Why  are 
there  the  same  differences  in  judgment  to-day?  What  crimes 
are  most  severely  punished  by  modem  law?  What  classes  of 
arrant  sinners,  according  to  Jesus'  standards,  still  escape  the 
condemnation  both  of  law  and  pubHc  opinion?  In  what  respects 
could  our  modem  methods  of  dealing  with  criminals  be  con- 
formed more  closely  to  Jesus'  ways  of  saving  sinners?  What 
place  did  Jesus  give  to  the  social  consequences  of  sin? 


30        Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

IV. 

The  Essentials  op  Worship. 

The  greater  part  of  the  time  and  the  religious  zeal  of  the 
Jews  of  Jesus'  day  was  devoted  to  acts  of  worship.  With  this 
formal  interpretation  of  rehgion  he  had  no  sympathy.  Nowhere 
is  it  recorded  that  he  brought  sacrifices  to  the  temple.  The 
Pharisees  condemned  him  because  he  did  not  teach  his  followers 
to  observe  the  ceremonial  regulations  laid  down  in  the  later 
Jewish  law.  He  repHed  that  externals  made  no  difference; 
what  was  vital  was  the  inner  spirit  and  motive.  In  general, 
Jesus  appears  to  have  silently  ignored  the  entire  Jewish  cere- 
monial system  without  condemning  that  which  doubtless 
proved  helpful  to  some. 

He  did,  however,  warn  his  followers  against  the  evils  of 
certain  ostentatious  forms  of  worship.  Acts  of  charity  stand 
first  in  his  fist  as  vahd  ways  by  which  the  individual  can  express 
his  gratitude  and  loyalty  to  God.  But,  as  he  taught,  if  these 
are  performed  with  a  view  to  winning  men's  rather  than  God's 
approval,  they  have  no  value  as  worship,  for  worship  is  a 
personal  relation  between  the  individual  and  God.  So  too  he 
condemned  fasting  in  public;  in  fact  he  apparently  had  little 
sympathy  with  the  institution  itself,  for  it  stressed  the  sad 
interpretation  of  religion.  The  fasting  which  he  recommended 
was  no  real  fasting  in  the  popular  sense  of  the  word,  but  that 
happy,  joyous  expression  of  religion  that  characterized  all  of 
his  teaching.  "As  at  a  wedding  feast,  with  happy  hearts, 
express  not  in  pubhc  but  in  private  your  gratitude  and  loyalty 
to  your  heavenly  Father." 

There  was  no  doubt  in  Jesus'  mind  of  the  value  of  real 
worship.  Reverence,  faith,  love,  gratitude  and  loyalty,  which 
are  the  emotions  that  enter  into  true  worship,  are  necessary 
if  the  soul  of  the  individual  is  to  grow;  and  these  emotions, 
which  are  the  incentives  to  right  action,  develop  by  exer- 
cise. The  value  of  the  different  forms  of  worship  depends 
upon  the  way  in  which  they  affect  each  individual.  The 
essentials,  therefore,  are  (1)  that  they  shall  be  joyous,  (2)  that 
they  shall  be  natural  and  sincere,  and  (3)  that  they  bring  the 
individual  into  close  personal  relation  to  God.  By  his  own 
example,  as  well  as  by  his  teachings,  Jesus  taught  the  importance 
of  going  apart  from  the  distractions  of  daily  life.    He  usually 


God  and  Man  31 

went  out  on  the  hillsides  or  mountain  tops  where  undisturbed 
he  could  come  into  closest  touch  with  God's  spirit  and  purpose 
as  revealed  in  the  Hfe  of  the  flowers  and  birds  and  all  the  beauties 
of  nature.  But  he  declared  that  the  chief  essential  is  purity  of 
heart,  for  only  those  who  are  free  from  prejudice  and  the  con- 
sciousness of  doing  wrong  and  of  being  out  of  accord  with  his 
good  purpose,  are  able  to  see  him  in  nature,  in  human  history, 
in  the  lives  of  men.  Above  all  only  as  God  is  sought  in  the 
inner  chamber,  the  soul  of  the  individual,  can  man  truly  worship 
him.  When  in  these  various  ways  the  individual  gains  a  clear 
vision  of  God  the  ultimate  reahty,  he  can  but  worship. 

How  do  you  explain  the  absence  in  Jesus*  teachings  of 
any  detailed  directions  regarding  public  worship?  Were  the 
forms  of  public  services  in  the  early  Christian  Church  of  Jewish 
or  Christian  origin?  In  what  sense,  if  at  all,  is  the  prominence 
now  given  to  public  worship  in  the  Christian  Church  a  rever- 
sion to  the  Pharisaic  usage  that  Jesus  condemned?  How  far 
is  the  modern  church  adapted  to  the  type  of  worship  that 
Jesus  commended?  Where  else  do  you  feel  most  naturally  and 
strongly  the  spirit  of  worship?  Why  do  people  attend  church? 
Why  do  many  not  attend  church?  How  can  the  worship  of 
the  modern  church  be  still  further  reorganized  so  as  to  reahze 
the  essentials  stressed  by  Jesus? 

V. 

Faith  and  Prayer.  . 
The  ordinary  experiences  of  Hfe  prove  that  successful 
co-operation  is  impossible  without  confidence  and  mutual 
understanding.  If  this  rule  holds  good  in  the  case  of  individuals 
who  share  common  characteristics,  in  a  far  greater  degree  does 
it  apply  to  beings  so  widely  different  as  God  and  man.  One  of 
Jesus'  first  aims  was  to  help  men  to  know  God  intimately,  to 
think  the  same  thoughts  as  God,  and  to  trust  him.  In  teaching 
the  lesson  of  faith  he  appealed  to  logic  based  on  reahty.  You 
can  see  with  your  own  eyes  the  Hlies  and  the  birds  and  note 
their  serene  joy  and  confidence  based  on  experience.  Thus 
the  natural  world  proclaims  the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the 
great  Source  of  all.  Little  indeed  is  the  faith  and  defective  the 
logic  of  those  who  do  not,  like  the  birds  and  flowers,  trust 


32  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

and  in  turn  find  the  confidence  and  serenity  essential  to  ejffec- 
tive  co-operation. 

With  Jesus,  prayer  was  not  so  much  a  means  of  securing 
certain  definite  things,  as  a  way  in  which  the  individual 
could  bring  his  feelings  and  thoughts  and  purposes  into  close, 
harmonious  relation  to  the  feehngs  and  thoughts  and  purposes 
of  God.  This  is  the  dominant  aim  throughout  the  wonderful 
prayer  that  he  taught  his  disciples:  "Our  Father"  reminded 
them  of  all  that  Jesus  had  taught  them  about  God's  fatherly 
care  and  of  the  bond  of  love  and  gratitude  that  bound  them  to 
the  great  Source  of  all.  ''May  thy  name  be  revered"  inspired 
reverence  in  every  praying  heart.  ''May  thy  rule  be  estab- 
lished" kindled  the  flame  of  loyalty  and  stirred  to  action. 
"Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven"  not  only  defined 
God's  rule  but  emphasized  the  unity  of  earth  and  heaven,  of 
the  present  and  eternity,  and  was  equivalent  to  an  oath  of 
imending  fealty  to  the  Eternal.  "Give  us  to-day  the  food  we 
need"  is  not  so  much  a  petition  as  it  is  a  declaration  of  con- 
fidence in  God's  goodness  and  wisdom  in  providing  whatever 
things  are  necessary  for  his  children.  "Forgive  us  our  wrong- 
doings as  we  have  forgiven  those  who  have  wronged  us"  is  a 
prayer  that  God  will  remove  all  barriers  separating  him  from 
his  children.  It  is  also  a  solemn  promise  that  they  will  remove 
all  barriers  separating  them  from  their  fellow  men,  thus  creating 
harmony  in  the  mind  of  those  who  pray  and  the  consciousness 
of  friendship  with  God  and  with  all  their  fellows.  "Help  us  to 
resist  temptation  and  deliver  us  from  evil"  completes  the  bond 
between  God  and  men,  and  unites  them  in  unceasing  opposition 
to  all  that  hinders  the  reahzation  of  his  good  purpose. 

In  Jesus'  discussion  of  prayer  as  a  form  of  worship  he 
emphasized  the  same  aim.  He  characterized  the  long  public 
prayers  of  the  Pharisees  not  as  real  prayers  but  as  public 
displays.  In  the  light  of  his  searching  analysis  they  were 
shown  to  be  no  more  religious  than  the  pubhc  games  in  the 
stadium.  Prayer,  he  declared,  is,  hke  all  other  forms  of  worship, 
a  personal  relation  between  the  individual  and  God.  If.  it  is  to 
be  effective  men  must  forget  themselves  and  the  approval  or 
disapproval  of  their  fellow  men.  The  man  who  would  truly 
pray  must  enter  the  inner  sanctuary  of  his  own  soul  and  lose 
himself  through  absorption  in  a  purpose;  there  he  will  find 
God  and  the  true  answer  to  the  prayer  that  voices  that  purpose. 


God  and  Man  33 

On  the  basis  of  his  own  experience  Jesus  had  unbounded 
faith  in  prayer  when  the  object  of  the  petition  is  in  keeping 
with  God's  good  purpose.  No  worthy  petition  shall  be  refused; 
no  quest  for  truth  shall  be  in  vain;  no  door  in  God's  boundless 
universe  shall  be  closed  to  a  son  of  God  who  asks  with  faith. 
To  strengthen  the  faith  of  his  disciples  he  assured  them,  with 
all  the  power  of  his  own  personal  experience  and  deep  convic- 
tion, that  love  far  greater  than  that  of  a  human  father  lies 
back  of  the  power  to  give.  Mere  repetitions  of  their  petitions 
are  useless,  for  the  Eternal  is  well  aware  of  their  wants!  What 
is  essential  i^  concentratibn  of  thought  and  determination  to 
be  heard.  This  at  least  is  the  natural  interpretatibn  of  the 
parable  of  the  importunate  widow  whose  persistency  won  her 
point.  Beyond  this  one  suggestion  Jesus  did  not  discuss  the 
psychology  of  prayer,  or  if  he  did,  his  words  fell  on  dull  ears 
and  found  no  record  in  the  Gospels. 

To  secure  results  faith  is  much  more  important  than  a 
knowledge  of  the  ways  in  which  our  persistent  prayers  react 
upon  the  Source  of  all  and  in  turn  are  answered.  Jesus  knew  that 
his  own  prayers  were  answered,  both  in  the  physical  and  spiritual 
realm,  although  it  is  true  the  Gospels  frankly  tell  us  of  one 
conditioned  petition  which  was  not  answered:  "If  it  ib  thy 
will"  (Mark  14:  36).  Not  only  his  early  apostles  but  his 
followers  throughout  the  ages,  who  have  prayed  the  loyal 
prayer  of  faith,  have  had  the  definite  consciousness  that  theiT 
petitions  have  been  heard.  This  fact  rests  on  as  solid  and 
broad  a  basis  of  observation  and  experience  as  any  law  in  the 
natural  world.  Jesus'  teachings  regarding  prayer  have  stood 
the  crucial  tests.  They  must,  however,  be  taken  as  a  whole. 
There  are  petitions  which  no  loyal  son  of  God  can  ask.  There 
are  others,  Uke  Jesus'  agonized  request  in  the  Garden  of  Gethsem- 
ane,  which  can  be  asked  only  conditionally,  for  no  co-worker 
with  God  would  persistently  ask  for  that  which  is  not  in  accord 
with  the  good  purpose  to  which  he  is  pledged.  Within  these 
broad  bounds  it  is  evident  that  there  is  a  vast  range  of  physibal 
and  mental  and  spiritual  gifts  for  which  men  have  but  to  ask 
with  faith  and  concentration  and  determination  in  order  to 
receive. 

The  promise,  ''knock  and  it  shall  be  opened  to  you," 
undoubtedly  applies  to  the  unseen  as  well  as  the  seen.  Because 
we  do  not  to-day  understand  the  psychology  of  prayer  and  the 


84  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

unseen  spiritual  laws  that  are  only  dimly  suggested  by  the 
physical  is  no  reason  why  exact  knowledge  may  not  in  time, 
take  the  place  of  our  profound  ignorance.  Gradually  the  fact 
is  dawning  upon  us  that  thoughts  are  as  real  forces  as  gravity  or 
dynamite.  The  thoughts  of  God,  of  which  Jesus  said  so  much, 
we  may  well  believe  are  infinitely  more  potent.  It  is  possible 
that  Jesus'  earnest  desire  that  Ms  followers  should  think  the 
thoughts  of  God  was  that  their  thoughts  might  reinforce  those 
of  God  and  that  these  reinforced  thoughts  had  in  the  language 
of  the  Master  power  to  move  mountains.^ 

In  the  age  just  past  we  had  in  our  thinking  largely  reduced 
the  universe  to  a  material  mechanism.  Is  it  possible  that  we 
were  looking  simply  at  the  form  and  that  reality  is  a  complex 
of  spiritual  forces  and  agents  which,  if  we  but  knew,  makes 
prayer  and  its  answer  far  simpler  than  the  faith  which  leads 
us,  for  example,  to  go  to  a  telephone  receiver  and  ask  and 
receive  the  aid  of  a  friend  living  thousands  of  miles  away?  At 
least,  in  the  new  age  just  dawning  we  have  already  become  so 
scientific  that  we  are  willing  to  investigate  and  wait  for  the 
psychological  and  scientific  explanation  of  the  basis  of  Jesus' 
teachings  regarding  prayer.  Most  of  us  are  also  ready  to  accept 
those  teacMngs  as  a  practical  working  basis,  even  though  we 
are  as  yet  unable  to  trace  the  subtle  connections  between  the 
cause  and^the  effect. 

What  is  the  object  and  value  of  the  long  prayers  in  the 
public  services  of  most  of  our  Christian  churches?  In  what 
ways  may  they  become  a  menace  to  true  worship?  What  are 
the  values  and  perils  of  definite  habits  of  prayer,  such  as  daily 
family  prayers  and  giving  thanks  before  meals?  What  are 
some  of  the  objects  for  which  no  Christian  should  pray?  What 
are  some  of  the  valid  subjects  of  prayer?  What  examples  of 
seemingly  definite  answers  to  prayer  have  you.had  in  your  own 
experience? 

VI. 

The  Eternal  Life. 
Jesus  was  so  completely  a  son  of  reality  that  he  did  not 
spend  any  time  or  effort  in  proving  such  realities  as  God,  sin, 
and  immortality.    They  were  even  more  real  than  the  disciples 


God'  and  Man  35 

whom  he  gathered  about  him.  His  own  firm  belief  in  eternal 
life  for  the  individual  was  precipitated  by  a  captious  question 
raised  by  the  conservative  Sadducees  who  still  cherished  the 
old  Semitic  skepticism  about  individual  immortality  (Mark  12: 
18-27).  Their  immediate  object  was  to  make  Jesus  ridiculous 
and  so  to  weaken  his  influence  with  the  common  people.  The 
questipn  itself  was  ridiculous:  "A  woman  six  times  widowed 
married  in  succession  seven  brothers;  when  they  all  rise  from  the 
dead  whose  wife  will  she  be?"  The  words  "rise  from  the  dead" 
were  probably  said  mockingly,  for  they  echo  the  current,  and 
to  the  Sadducees  hostile,  Pharisaic  doctrine  of  a  physical 
resurrection.  Jesus  in  his  incisive  answer  quietly  rejected 
both  the  childish  belief  of  the  Pharisees  and  the  negative 
attitude  of  the  Sadducees.  In  effect  he  said:  "In  the  life  after 
death  men  do  not  go  on  marrying,  for  they  do  not  take  with 
them  their  physical  bodies  but,  like  the  angels,  have  spiritual 
bodies.  But  in  regard  to  the  whole  question  of  life  after  death, 
have  you  Sadducees  never  read  how  God  said  to  Moses:  *I 
am  the  God  of  Abraham,  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 
Jacob.'  That  was  said  long  after  the  patriarchs  had  left  this 
world.  I  tell  you,  God  is  not  the  God  of  those  who  are  dead 
but  of  the  patriarchs  who  are  still  Hving.  You  are  greatly  in 
error.*' 

In  all  his  teachings  Jesus  emphasized  the  fact  that  the 
individual  commenced  to  live  the  eternal  life  the  moment  that 
he  began  to  acknowledge  the  rule  of  God.  Eternal  life  is,  as  is 
taught  in  the  Gospel  of  John  (6:  27),  something  to  be  attained 
through  following  the  guidance  of  Jesus.  In  his  thought  the 
barrier  between  this  life  and  that  beyond  is  so  thin  that  he 
ignores  it  in  his  teachings  regarding  the  Rule  of  God,  for  in  that 
divine  democracy  are  included  all  the  living  and  "those  who 
have  fallen  asleep"  that  are  devoted  to  realizing  God's  good 
purpose  in  the  universe.  In  the  full  light  of  Jesus'  teachings 
his  early  followers  never  spoke  of  their  friends  as  dead;  death 
was  but  a  short  and  peaceful  sleep  with  a  glad  awakening. 

The  best  authenticated  records  of  Jesus'  own  activity  in 
the  days  following  his  resurrection  also  state  simply  and  clearly, 
as  though  it  were  the  most  natural  event  in  all  his  thriUing  life 
history,  that  he  repeatedly  passed  the  barriers  of  death  and 
appeared  and  talked  with  his  disciples.  Paul,  his  most  highly 
educated  and  gifted  follower,  beheved  with  all  his  heart  not 


36  Jesus^  Principles  op  Living 

only  that  Jesus  appeared  to  him  on  his  memorable  journey  to 
Damascus,  but  that  the  spirit  of  his  Master  guided  him  in  all 
his  work  and  prompted  his  greatest  teachings. 

Jesus'  philosophy  of  life  definitely  teaches  that  God  is  not 
limited  by  the  material  and  temporal  and  that  love  and 
friendship  and  the  spiritual  hfe  of  the  individual  simply  begin 
in  this  world  and  go  on  expanding  and  developing  eternally 
in  the  unexplored  reahn  that  lies  beyond  man's  last  sleep 
on  earth. 


How  far  does  Paul  in  I  Corinthians  15  correctly  interpret 
what  appears  to  be  Jesus'  teaching  regarding  the  life  of  the 
individual  after  death?  How  far  do  these  teachings  agree  with 
the  findings  of  modern  science?  Are  the  suggestions  of  Jesus  and 
Paul  regarding  life  after  physical  death  similar  in  any  respects 
to  the  communications  claimed  to  be  received  in  recent  days 
from  those  who  have  died?  Cf.,  Lodge,  Raymond;  Cameron, 
Seven  Purposes;  King,  The  Abolishing  of  Death;  Hyslop,  Contact 
with  the  Other  World.  How  probable  is  it  that  scientific  research 
will  in  the  future  throw  light  on  the  fife  beyond  death?  Are 
the  leaders  in  the  modern  revival  of  interest  in  the  other  life 
theologians  or  scientists,  and  what  is  the  significance  of  that 
fact? 

Subjects  for  Further  Study, 

(1)  Trace  the  growth  of  the  belief  in  God's  fatherhood  in  the  Old 
Testament. 

(2)  In  what  respects  is  the  modern  Juvenile  Com-t  a  long  advance 
toward  Jesus'  way  of  saving  the  lost?  (Flexner,  The  Juvenile  Court;  Elhott, 
The  Juvenile  Court.) 

(3)  What  is  the  derivation  and  meaning  of  the  EngUsh  word  worship? 
Define  your  own  conception  of  worship. 

(4)  What  are  the  modern  scientific  theories  regarding  the  psychology 
of  prayer?  (Strong,  The  Psychology  of  Prayer;  Fosdick,  The  Meaning  of 
Prayer.) 

(5)  What  is  the  Christian  Science  theory  of  prayer  as  used  in  healing 
the  sick? 

(6)  Compare  Plato's  teaching  regarding  personal  immortahty  with 
that  of  Jesus. 

(7)  What  are  the  modem  scientific  theories  regarding  ether  and 
matter?  (Sir  Joseph  John  Thomson,  Corpuscular  Theory  of  Matter;  Lodge, 
Mind,  Matter  and  Ether,  in  Hibbert  Journal,  January,  1919.) 


Truthfulness  and  Sincerity  37 

CHAPTER  IV. 
TRUTHFULNESS  AND  SINCERITY. 

Parallel  Readings. 

Kent,  The  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,  pp.  198-211. 

Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  107-134. 

Follett,  The  New  State,  pp.  93-133. 

I  have  spoken  not  on  my  own  authority,  but  the  Father  who  sent  me 
has  commanded  me  what  to  say  and  what  to  speak,  and  I  know  that  his 
command  means  eternal  hfe.  Therefore  whatever  I  speak,  I  speak  as 
the  Father  has  bidden  me.     John  12:  49,  50. 

Earth  and  sky  will  pass  away  but  my  words  will  not  pass  away.  But 
no  man  knows  the  day  or  hour,  not  even  the  angels  in  heaven  nor  the  Son, 
but  only  the  Father.     Mark  13:  31,  32. 

He  who  has  seen  me  has  seen  the  Father;  then  how  can  you  say, 
"Let  us  see  the  Father"?  Do  you  not  beheve  that  I  am  in  the  Father 
and  the  Father  in  me?  The  words  that  I  speak  to  you  I  speak  not  on  my 
own  authority,  but  the  Father  who  is  always  in  me  does  his  own  work. 
Beheve  me,  I  am  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  me,  or  else  beheve  me 
because  of  the  work  itself.    John  14:  9-11. 

You  have  heard  that  it  has  been  said,  **  You  shall  not  commit  adultery." 
But  I  tell  you,  one  who  looks  with  impure  intention  at  a  woman  has  already 
committed  adultery  with  her  in  his  heart.     Mait.  5:  27,  28. 

You  have  heard  how  the  men  of  old  were  told,  "You  must  not  swear 
falsely,  but  what  you  have  vowed  to  the  Lord,  you  shall  pay."  But  I  tell 
you.  Swear  not  at  all,  neither  by  heaven,  for  it  is  the  throne  of  God,  nor 
by  earth,  for  it  is  the  footstool  under  his  feet,  nor  by  Jerusalem,  for  it  is 
the  city  of  the  great  King.  Do  not  swear  by  your  head,  of  which  you 
cannot  make  a  single  hair  white  or  black.  Let  your  affirmation  be  simply, 
"Yes"  and  your  denial,  "No."  Anything  beyond  that  is  of  evil  origin. 
Matt.  5:  33-37. 

Take  care  that  you  do  not  perform  your  good  deeds  before  men  in 
order  to  be  seen  by  them;  otherwise  you  receive  no  reward  from  your 
Father  in  heaven.     Matt.  6: 1.     (Shorter  Bible  translation.) 


Jesus'  Frank  Recognition  of  His  Own  Limitations  and 

Superiority. 
Jesus'  own  appreciation  of  the  significance  of  his  life  and 
teachings  to  humanity  is  found  in  his  frequent  injunction, 
"Follow  me."  He  clearly  intended  that  human  beings  should 
attempt  to  apply  his  teachings  practically  in  everyday  life  and 
to  get  the  spirit  of  those  teachings  from  his  own  personal  life 
and  life  work.  So  much  emphasis  has  been  laid  at  times  on  the 
divinity  of  Jesus  that  people  knowing  their  own  weaknesses 


38  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

have  felt  it  impossible  to  follow  him,  and  in  consequence  have 
failed  to  make  the  effort.  They  have  assumed  that  Jesus  was 
in  all  respects  infinite  in  power,  knowledge,  and  wisdom.  Jesus, 
however,  clearly  felt  and  taught  that  it  is  possible  for  human 
beings  by  proper  effort  to  attain  so  much  of  the  divine  spirit 
that  they  can  effectively  follow  him.  On  the  other  hand,  he 
Wmself  called  attention  repeatedly  to  his  own  Umitations.  But 
speaking  from  the  human  point  of  view,  he  showed  that  it  was 
possible  for  him  as  a  man  to  interpret  the  spirit  of  God,  to 
understand  God's  will  and  to  follow  it.  Although  he  knew 
how  imperfect  were  the  most  developed  of  his  disciples,  he 
believed  that  it  was  possible  for  other  men,  hke  himself,  to 
understand  and  follow  God's  will.  ''Be  perfect  even  as  your 
Father  in  heaven  is  perfect"  is  one  of  his  ringing  injunctions. 
"Greater  deeds  shall  you  do  than  I  have  done"  has  too  often 
been  ignored  or  minimized. 

In  speaking  with  the  young  ruler,  who  had  come  to  him  as 
one  who  was  perfect,  he  disclaimed  perfection  saying,  "Why 
do  you  call  me  good?  No  one  is  good  except  one  only,  God." 
Jesus  here  reveals  an  earnest  desire  to  obliterate  the  distinction 
that  even  then  his  followers  were  beginning  to  make  between 
his  personahty  and  possibilities  and  those  of  the  other  sons  of 
men.  In  all  that  he  says  and  does  the  teaching  aim  is  dominant. 
At  every  point  there  is  also  a  careful  adaptation  of  his  methods 
to  the  needs  of  the  people  with  whom  he  is  dealing.  As  has 
already  been  noted,  in  accordance  with  the  ordinary  principles 
of  good  judgment  that  would  be  followed  by  any  sensible  man 
in  planning  a  great  campaign  for  social  work,  he  first  selects 
Capernaum  as  the  chief  place  of  his  activities,  with  the  definite 
hope  of  transferring  that  work  later  to  Jerusalem.  We  also 
recognize  a  very  human  feeling  of  disappointment  at  the  appar- 
ent slowness  with  which  the  Jews  and  the  other  residents  of 
Capernaum  and  Jerusalem  accepted  his  teachings,  and  the 
sorrow  in  his  heart  when  he  reahzed  the  inevitable  fate  that 
would  overtake  these  cities  because  they  had  rejected  the  great 
opportunity  offered  them. 

And  yet  with  these  limitations  to  his  control  over  the 
freedom  of  human  beings,  we  find  no  sign  of  doubt  in  the 
absolute  truth  of  his  teachings  and  in  the  certainty  of  their 
ultimate  triumph.  So  great  was  this  confidence  that  he  left 
no  word  written  by  his  own  hand.    He  always  spoke  with 


Truthfulness  and  Sincerity  39 

absolute  positiveness.  He  knew  that  he  was  interpreting  God's 
spirit.  Others  recognized  the  fact  that  he  felt  himself  to  be  the 
interpreter  of  God  to  men.  ''  He  spoke  as  one  having  authority 
and  not  as  the  scribes.'* 

In  his  interpretation  of  the  ancient  law  he  did  not  quibble 
over  minor  technicahties;  but  instead  he  sought  for  the  real 
spirit  of  the  teachings  and  placed  his  own  interpretation  on  the 
meaning  of  the  law  with  the  same  boldness  and  positiveness 
as  did  the  great  prophets  of  old.  On  many  occasions,  especially 
toward  the  close  of  his  ministry,  he  even  went  further  than 
that  and  claimed  his  intimate  sonship  or  unity  with  God. 
"I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life.  No  man  comes  to  the 
Father  except  throu^  me.  The  words  I  speak  to  you  I  speak 
on  my  own  authority,  and  the  Father  who  is  always  in  me  does 
the  work.  Beheve  me,  I  am  in  the  Father  and  he  is  in  me,  or 
else  beheve  me  because  of  the  work  itself."  Likewise  when  he 
stood  before  the  high  priests  and  they  questioned  him,  *'Are 
you  the  Messiah?  Tell  us  if  you  are.  Are  you  then  the  Son 
of  God?  "  He  rephed,  "  It  is  as  you  say,  I  am. "  But  with  this 
assumption  of  divinity  he  in  no  way  separated  himself  from 
humanity,  but  claimed  all  men  as  brothers.  He  impHed  that 
they  also  are  sons  of  God,  for  any  man  who  has  attained  so 
much  of  the  divine  spirit  that  his  life  has  been  transformed 
demonstrates  thereby  his  kinship  with  God. 

What  evidence  do  you  find  in  the  New  Testament  that 
Jesus  modified  the  plan  of  his  fife  work  after  the  beginning  of 
his  ministry?  How  far  is  such  modification  a  proof  of  human 
wisdom?    Why  is  it  not  evidence  of  a  lack  of  divine  inspiration? 


II. 

The  Fundamental  Significance  of  Motives. 
It  is  a  commonplace  of  the  law  that  the  essence  of  crime 
lies  in  the  intent.  A  man  may  kill  another  by  accident.  No 
crime  has  been  committed.  There  was  no  wrong  intent.  A 
man  committing  a  felony  may  kill  another  with  no  intent  to 
kill,  but  as  an  unexpected  accompaniment  of  the  serious  crime. 
He  has  committed  manslaughter,  but  not  murder.  This 
fundamental  fact  in  law  Jesus  makes  of  prime  significance  in 


40  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

all  the  acts  of  everyday  life.  No  other  great  teacher  has 
recognized  so  fully  the^  fact  that  a  man's  acts  are  determined 
and  should  be  judged  by  motives.  Whatever  the  question 
under  discussion,  we  see  Jesus  with  a  marvellous  keenness  of 
insight  searching  always  for  the  underlying  motives  of  action. 
In  his  interpretation  of  the  ancient  law  the  same  spirit  is  con- 
tinually found.  What  was  the  purpose  of  the  law?  Why  was 
the  law  so  framed?  On  this  underlying  reason  he  bases  his 
interpretation  of  each  law. 

Is  the  question  one  of  Sabbath  keeping;  he  at  once  asks, 
What  is  the  purpose  of  the  Sabbath?  He  finds  that  ''the 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man,"  and  that  fact  is  the  key  to  his 
interpretation  of  the  law.  It  is  therefore  lawful  to  do  good  on 
the  Sabbath  day.  Is  the  question  one  of  sexual  relations;  he 
tells  you  that  ''one  who  looks  with  impure  intention  at  a 
woman  has  already  committed  adultery  with  her  in  his  heart." 
Is  the  question  one  of  prayer;  it  is  not  the  Pharisee's  long  prayers 
that  count  but  the  humble  tax-gatherer's  lowly  spirit  of  petition 
when  beating  on  his  breast  he  cries,  "O  God,  have  mercy  on 
me,  a  sinner."  Is  the  question  one  of  charity;  it  is  not  the 
ostentatious  gift  of  the  rich  man  but  the  genuine  sacrifice  of 
the  poor  widow  who  gives  her  last  two  mites  that  is  acceptable 
in  the  sight  of  God.  This  keenness  of  insight  for  the  heart  of 
questions,  this  search  for  the  imderlying  motives  was  so 
eminently  characteristic  of  him  in  distinction  from  all  other 
teachers,  that  he  has  been  rightly  characterized  as  the  Spirit  of 
Truth. 

The  real  significance  of  this  in  its  application  to  our  every- 
day fife  is  often  not  realized  so  fully  as  it  should  be;  and  yet, 
especially  in  these  later  days,  in  the  estabHshment  of  our 
children's  courts  and  in  the  frequent  practice  of  suspension 
of  sentence  in  case  of  crimes  committed,  where  the  evil  intention 
is  not  clearly  apparent,  we  see  the  reflection  of  this  spirit  of 
Jesus.  It  would  be  difficult  to-day  for  any  judge  to  impose  a 
heavy  sentence  upon  a  mother  who  stole  with  the  evident 
purpose  of  feeding  a  suffering  child.  Children  whose  misde- 
meanors are  committed  primarily  with  no  serious  intent  to 
injure  others,  but  in  a  mere  spirit  of  mischief  or  perhaps  through 
ignorance,  are  taught  their  lesson  by  showing  thena  the  social 
wrong  actually  done  and  by  giving  them  a  warning  for  the 
future  and  a  suspension  of  sentence  for  the  time  being. 


Truthfulness  and  Sincerity  41 

It  is  important  for  us  to  keep  clearly  in  mind  in  our  judg- 
ment of  others  this  sharp  line  of  distinction  between  crime  and 
sin.  Crime  is  a  violation  of  man^s  law,  the  law  of  the  state. 
Sin  is  a  violation  of  God^s  law;  that  is,  the  physical,  mental 
and  moral  law  inherent  in  nature,  which  may  or  may  not  be 
embodied  in  human  law.  Man's  law  also  considers  motive  and 
intent  but  often  judges  the  motive  simply  by  the  act.  God's 
law  invariably  is  interpreted  by  the  conscience  of  the  doer, 
who  has  sought  out  and  judged  the  facts  antecedent  to  his  act. 
Hence  guilt  is  absolutely  dependent  upon  the  motive.  In 
order  that  society  may  be  protected,  it  may  well  be  that  people 
who  have  wronged  society,  but  with  no  evil  intent,  must  be 
restrained  or  even  punished.  In  our  judgment  of  others  it  is 
imperative  that  we  always  keep  clearly  in  mind  the  fundamental 
significance  of  the  motives  that  inspire  their  acts. 


What  in  your  judgment  is  the  criterion  of  good  and  evil? 
What  determines  the  right  or  wrong  of  any  specific  act?  Under 
what  circumstances  may  a  man  do  evil  without  sin  and  sin  in 
doing  good? 

III. 

Simplicity  and  Directness. 

Jesus'  teaching  regarding  directness  and  sincerity  in  speech 
is  even  more  emphatic  than  that  of  the  ancient  law  on  the 
question  of  swearing.  The  ancient  law  decreed,  "Thou  shalt 
not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain;  thou  shalt 
not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neighbor."  Clearly  the  idea 
of  the  Hebrew  code  was  to  prevent  a  violation  of  the  spirit  of 
reverence  toward  Jehovah  on  the  one  hand  and  on  the  other 
to  prevent  the  evil  that  is  done  to  society  whenever  any  one 
bears  false  witness  in  the  settlement  of  controversies.  Jesus' 
teaclfing  was  more  fundamental.  All  kinds  of  oaths  were 
condemned.  "Let  your  aflirmation  be  simply,  *Yes,'  your 
denial  simply,  'No';  anything  beyond  that  is  of  evil  origin." 

We  are  altogether  too  careless  regarding  the  common 
exaggeration  and  false  impHcations  of  our  speech.  Frequently, 
by  the  exaggerated  use  of  strong  adjectives  or  adverbs,  false 
impressions  are  given.    Newspaper  articles  are  written  which, 


42  Jesus^  Principles  op  Living 

though  containing  no  absolutely  false  statements,  may  yet 
through  the  suggestion  of  evil  motives  by  the  use  of  adjectives 
and  adverbs  give  a  completely  inaccurate  impression.  It 
would  be  difficult  to  prove  anything  wrong  in  the  statement 
of  facts.  The  article  itself  would  not  sustain  an  action  for 
libel,  and  yet  the  insinuations  regarding  some  man's  character 
may  be  such  that  his  reputation  will  be  ruined. 

Of  equal  importance  is  the  necessity  of  a  good  command 
of  language  if  one  is  to  make  the  best  impression  upon  an 
audience  or  upon  refined  people.  A  harsh  tone  and  the  use  of 
slang,  not  to  speak  of  oaths,  however  picturesque  they  may 
be,  always  make  a  bad  impression  when  serious  business  is 
imder  way.  The  habit  breeds  carelessness  about  accuracy  in  the 
meaning  of  words  and  prevents  the  growth  of  one's  vocabulary. 
Wendell  PhilHps,  the  great  orator  of  the  last  generation,  from 
boyhood  up  forbade  himself  the  use  of  slang  for  that  express 
reason,  and  the  result  showed  his  wisdom. 

Another  evil  which  is  condemned  in  this  statement  of 
Jesus  is  the  lack  of  discrimination  and  thus  of  power  to  tell 
the  exact  truth.  The  frequent  use  of  vivid  words  such  as  are 
often  employed  in  slang  and  in  the  common  oaths  of  the  un- 
trained and  imeducated  develop  this  evil.  A  person  who 
characterizes  almost  every  act  or  thought  by  some  common 
slang  of  the  day  soon  finds  himself  so  impoverished  in  speech 
liat  he  cannot  express  with  accuracy  different  shades  of  mean- 
ing. This  is  perhaps  the  chief  evil  of  the  frequent  use  of  slang 
and  possibly  even  the  chief  evil  of  common  swearing.  Very 
frequently  the  ignorant,  profane  man  has  no  seriously  evil 
intent,  but  lacking  a  proper  vocabulary,  he  uses  oaths  to  express 
a  great  variety  of  meanings.  Besides  vulgarity  or  sin  in  speech, 
he  lacks  accuracy  in  statement  and  discriminating  force;  and 
this,  as  Jesus  so  clearly  implies,  is  evil  in  its  effect  upon  him 
and  upon  society.    It  shows  sheer  vulgar  stupidity. 


What  is  a  lie?  When  is  a  lie  justifiable?  What  reasons 
are  there  for  thinking  that  a  lie  is  the  greatest  wrong  against 
society?  Under  what  circumstances  is  a  he  socially  worse  than 
murder?  How  many  really  great  men  have  the  habit  of  swear- 
ing? Or  lying?  In  what  ways,  if  any,  are  a  loud  voice  and 
oaths  a  help  or  a  hindrance  in  enforcing  discipline?    Why? 


Truthfulness  and  Sincerity  43 

IV. 

Integrity  in  Business. 

Accuracy  is  absolutely  essential  in  ordinary  business  life. 
Lack  of  discrimination  in  speech  frequently  breeds  lack  of 
discrimination  in  thought.  From  mere  slovenliness  of  thought 
men  do  not  see  clearly  the  condition  of  their  own  business. 
Probably  no  less  than  seventy-five  per  cent  of  all  failures  are 
due  to  the  fact  that  the  business  man,  through  carelessness  in 
account  keeping,  does  not  really  understand  the  condition  of 
his  business  until  it  is  too  late.  One  of  the  greatest  improve- 
ments in  the  science  of  business  is  the  growth  of  the  practice 
of  cost  accountancy,  which  enables  a  man  to  know  exactly 
what  the  various  processes  cost  him,  and  in  that  way  he  is 
able  at  any  moment  to  determine  his  standing. 

Honesty  in  business,  accuracy  of  statement  in  advertising, 
and  absolute  trustworthiness  have  raised  the  quality  of  the 
product  that  the  business  man  manufactures.  Honest  sales 
give  a  reputation  that  leads  far  toward  success.  In  practically 
every  country  where  there  are  numerous  dealers,  some  one 
firm  will  be  found  to  stand  out  for  absolute  trustworthiness. 
Others  will  attempt  to  palm  off  unsalable  or  imperfect  goods 
on  customers  whom  they  have  secured  by  advertising  special 
bargains.  In  the  long  run  the  trustworthy  merchant  is  the 
one  who  succeeds.  In  the  end  sharp  practice  never  pays.  Of 
late  years  the  value  of  the  good  will  in  business  that  i§  built 
up  by  trustworthy  practice  has  become  of  great  importance  in 
law  and  in  financiering.  A  change  in  the  spirit  of  the  manage- 
ment of  a  business  which  forfeits  its  reputation  for  sincerity 
and  honorable  deahng  often  causes  serious  loss.  Of  almost 
equal  importance  is  the  increasing  recognition  in  law  and 
business  of  the  actual  value  of  certain  brands  of  goods,  of  which 
the  reputation  has  been  established  by  the  absolute  mainte- 
nance of  quahty. 

Certain  makes  of  watches  are  standard,  each  in  its  place. 
Certain  brands  of  silver  or  tea  or  breakfast  foods  or  soaps  are 
well  known  the  world  over,  and  people  are  often  ready  to  pay 
a  Httle  higher  price  in  order  to  be  absolutely  certain  of  the 
quaUty  of  the  goods  purchased.  This  is  a  very  practical  recogni- 
tion of  the  value  of  truth  and  sincerity  in  every  branch  of  life 
and  shows  the  great  business  value  of  this  simple  Christian 
teaching. 


44  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

Why  would  you  not  trust  a  man  who  is  honest  simply 
because  honesty  is  the  best  business  pohcy?  What  are  the 
disadvantages  as  well  as  the  advantages  of  our  pure  food  laws? 
How  far  can  people  be  made  good  or  honest  by  legislation? 


Honesty  in  Politics. 

Much  has  been  said  of  late  years  of  the  evils  of  the  boss 
system  in  politics.  It  is  an  interesting  fact,  nevertheless,  that 
no  one  of  the  political  leaders  who  have  attained  real  power 
has  been  long  successful  unless  he  has  kept  faith,  at  any  rate 
with  his  followers.  It  may  well  be  that  Ins  pohcies  have  been 
injurious  or  misleading  to  the  opposite  party  or  to  the  pubhc 
at  large,  ;but  with  his  followers  he  must  keep  his  word  or 
failure  is  sure  and  usually  swift. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  even  a  great  statesman  like 
Bismarck,  who  did  not  hesitate  to  deceive  foreign  nations,  was 
faithful  to  his  king.  Even  brutality  does  not  make  political 
enemies  more  surely  than  does  treachery  and  falsehood. 

No  one  doubts  the  abihty  of  Benedict  Arnold.  Some 
writers  even  uphold  his  motives;  but  the  stigmas  of  treachery 
and  treason  ruined  his  life  and  have  blasted  his  reputation  for 
all  time. 

Without  the  confidence  of  the  public,  no  government  can 
persist  if  it  interferes  seriously  with  the  life  of  the  common 
people.  The  characteristics  that  have  been  most  frequently 
cited  as  typical  of  the  greatness  of  Washington  and  of  Lincoln 
are  their  complete  trustworthiness  and  their  soundness  of 
judgment  which  came  from  their  seeing  with  absolute  accuracy 
into  the  motives  of  not  only  their  followers  but  also  of  their 
enemies.  These  are  simply  illustrations  in  the  field  of  pubhc 
activity  of  the  advantage  of  absolute  truth  and  explain  the 
emphasis  upon  the  significance  of  motives  which  underiies  the 
teachings  of  Jesus. 

Whenever  dishonorable  business  customs  are  widely  spread 
in  any  country,  the  government  usually  is  affected  thereby, 
and  the  financial  credit  as  well  as  the  political  reputation  of 
the  nation  suffers.  The  thriftlessness  and  lack  of  faith  and 
trustworthiness  in  financial  niatters  of  the  Government  of 
Egypt  were  the  chief  causes  of  its  loss  by  the  Turkish  Empire 


Truthfulness  and  Sincerity  45 

and  its  dominance  by  the  British.  The  condition  of  Mexico  is 
largely  due  to  the  same  cause.  Neither  do  the  politicians 
trust  one  another  nor  can  they  win  the  confidence  of  foreigners 
on  account  of  their  treachery. 

How  vital  therefore  becomes  the  accuracy  of  the  press  in 
statements  of  fact  and  opinion  in  a  free  country!  Many  of  the 
extreme  views  held  by  citizens  are  due  to  the  fact  that  they 
are  misinformed  by  their  newspapers  regarding  the  motives 
and  the  acts  of  their  fellow  citizens  and  of  the  government. 
One  of  the  great  evils  of  many  foreign  governments  has  been  the 
subsidizing  of  the  press  so  as  to  convey  wrong  impressions 
and  lying  information  to  the  people.  It  is  a  common  device 
of  autocratic  governments.  It  has  been  at  times  also  a  device 
of  unpatriotic  partisans  or  self-seeking  propagandists  in  free 
countries.  Every  government  and  every  citizen  should  be 
scrupulous  regarding  the  accuracy  of  information  given  to  the 
public. 

Name  nations  that  have  acquired  a  world  reputation  for 
honesty  in  international  dealings.  Give  illustrations  of  either 
governments  or  people  that  have  been  considered  untrust- 
worthy. What  are  the  evil  effects,  both  economic  and  political, 
of  such  a  reputation?  What  practical  measures  should  be 
taken  by  governments  and  private  citizens  to  give  accurate 
information  to  the  public?  What  kinds  of  propaganda  are 
justifiable  and  beneficial? 

VI. 

Sincerity  in  the  Religious  Life.  * 
It  has  been  frequently  assumed  that  from  its  nature 
religion  must  be  true  and  sincere.  In  many  instances,  never- 
theless, mainly  through  carelessness  in  practice  and  slovenliness 
in  methods  of  thought  and  act,  the  rehgious  spirit  and  vision 
are  dimmed.  A  wise  preacher  of  thirty  years  ago  when 
asked  to  name  the  chief  drawback  to  the  calling  of  the  ministry 
replied,  *'The  difficulty  of  keeping  with  absolute  sincerity  the 
spirit  of  reverence  for  religious  things.^'  He  added  that  when 
one's  business  was  to  speak  continually  about  religious  things, 
they  were  likely  to  become  commonplace.  In  consequence,  a 
preacher  himself  was  conscious  at  times  of  placing  an  emphasis 
upon  his  words  that  was  beyond  his  real  feeling,  in  order  that 


46  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

he  might  arouse  within  his  hearers  religious  emotions  that  were 
keener  than  his  own.  A  preacher  is  therefore  continually 
tempted  to  indulge  in  an  exaggeration  which  is  almost  hypocrisy. 

Few  persons  who  are  not  careful  students  of  hiniian  nature 
will  have  thought  of  this  danger  in  the  rehgious  life,  and  yet 
there  is  a  reaUty  in  the  danger  that  men  should  heed.  How 
often  for  example  in  prayer  meetings  and  in  the  prayers  and 
talks  of  laymen,  as  well  as  preachers,  do  we  hear  used  the  words 
of  the  psalmist  or  of  the  great  religious  prophets  in  relations 
which  make  it  evident  that  those  words  are  merely  carelessly 
used  quotations  instead  of  an  expression  of  real  feeling.  Doubt- 
less the  ancient  poets  with  their  imaginative  natures  and  imder 
the  stress  of  the  great  evils  or  the  great  joys  in  which  they  were 
living  actually  felt  as  their  words  express,  but  when  we  with 
commonplace  minds  on  an  ordinary  occasion  quote  those 
expressions  as  representative  of  our  feehngs,  a  moment's 
thought  will  show  that  those  words  are  false.  Usually  the 
intent  is  not  to  deceive.  Usually  it  is  merely  poverty  of  thought 
and  language  which  leads  us  to  routine  use  of  these  expressions. 
Are  we  not  training  ourselves  in  habits  of  inaccuracy?  Are  we 
not  dulUng  what  should  be  our  vivid  feelings  of  sincere  religious 
desires  into  mere  routine  by  thus  using  words  that  are  quite 
dijfferent  from  Jesus'  simple,  direct  "Yes"  and  "No"?  Is  not 
this  the  essence  of  what  is  popularly  characterized  as  "cant"? 

We  need  to  recognize  that  in  the  worship  of  God  we  may 
well  distinguish  between  the  emotional  and  the  intellectual 
forms  of  worship  and  worship  expressed  in  service.  Doubtless 
among  the  more  ignorant,  too  great  stress  has  been  laid  upon 
emotional  expression.  It  has  often  been  sincerely  believed  and 
taught  that  in  worship  the  emotions  were  in  themselves  the 
essential  thing.  Again,  by  some  of  our  great  religious  teachers, 
especially  those  of  two  or  three  generations  ago,  too  much 
emphasis  was  placed  upon  mere  intellectual  belief  and  upon 
the  finely  spun  reasoning  over  the  logical  meanings  of  certain 
passages  of  scripture.  Both  the  emotions  and  the  reason 
have  their  places  —  and  important  places  —  in  our  rehgious 
Ufe,  but  after  all  Jesus  in  his  teachings  dwells  mainly  upon 
service  to  humanity.  This  service  consists  chiefly  in  acts  of 
sincerity  in  connection  with  our  daily  tasks.  If  the  spirit  of 
truth  lives  in  our  words  and  in  our  daily  work,  it  will  usually 
be  found  that  therein  we  are  rendering  our  best  service  to 


Personal  Responsibility  47 

others.  No  one  should  underestimate  the  value  of  service 
rendered  professionally  in  the  forms  of  either  individual  teach- 
ing or  pubhc  preaching;  but  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  the 
larger  part  of  our  lives  must  be  practically  given  to  earning 
our  hving  in  association  with  our  families  and  with  the  people 
with  whom  we  come  in  contact  in  our  daily  occupations.  If 
the  Christian  spirit  of  truth,  sincerity,  and  helpfulness  shines 
through  all  our  dealings  with  others,  they  also  will  be  inspired 
with  the  spirit  of  Jesus. 

What  measures  can  be  taken  to  obviate  the  danger  that 
the  practice  of  family  worship  may  degenerate  into  mere 
routine,  so  that  the  effect  will  be  to  deaden  the  true  religious 
spirit? 

For  what  reason  is  the  popular  reaction  against  cant 
wholesome?  How  can  we  avoid  cant?  How  great  is  the 
danger  to-day  that,  in  our  fear  of  cant,  we  will  refrain  from  the 
open  expression  of  our  deepest  religious  feelings? 

Subjects  for  Further  Study, 

(1)  The  influence  of  motive  on  individual  behavior  in  the  light  of 
modem  psychology.     (James,  Psychology;  Bagley,  Behavior.) 

(2)  What  are  the  psychological  causes  of  profanity?  (Patrick,  The 
Psychology  of  Relaxation,  pp.  145-171.)  What  are  the  chief  reasons  why 
swearing  is  harmful? 

(3)  Trace  the  growth  of  the  movement  toward  absolute  truthful- 
ness and  sincerity  in  business  advertising.  Cf .  the  work  of  the  Association 
of  Advertising  Clubs  and  Rotary  Clubs. 

(4)  Study  the  controversy  between  President  Wilson  and  the  United 
States  Senate  over  the  League  of  Nations.  Avoid  partisan  sources  and 
study  both  sides  critically.  Note  how  widely  people  equally  sincere  may 
differ  in  judgment  on  policies.    Put  your  conclusions  in  writing. 

(5)  What  are  the  advantages  and  the  disadvantages  of  the  rituaUstic 
types  of  worship?  WTiat  are  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  the 
non-rituahstic  types  of  worship? 


CHAPTER  v. 

PERSONAL  RESPONSIBILITY. 

Parallel  Readings. 
Kent,  Historical  Bible,  pp.  176-188. 
Cooley,  Social  Orgamization,  pp.  135-176. 
Follett,  The  New  State,  pp.  137-161. 


48  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

Why  look  critically  at  the  speck  in  your  brother's  eye  and  fail  to  see 
the  spUnter  in  your  own?  Can  you  say  to  your  brother,  "Let  me  take 
the  speck  out  of  your  eye,"  while  there  is  a  splinter  in  your  own?  You 
hypocrite,  first  take  the  splinter  out  of  your  own  eye;  then  you  will  see 
clearly  how  to  remove  the  speck  from  your  brother's  eye.       Matt.  7:  3-5. 

It  is  inevitable  that  temptation  should  come,  but  woe  to  the  man 
through  whom  it  comes!  It  would  be  better  for  him  to  be  flung  into  the 
sea  with  a  millstone  about  his  neck  than  that  he  cause  one  of  these  httle 
ones  to  fall!      Luke  17:  1,  2. 

Give  to  him  who  asks  of  you,  and  turn  away  from  no  one  who  wishes 
to  borrow  from  you. 

You  have  heard  the  saying,  "You  shall  love  your  neighbor  and  hate 
your  enemy."  But  I  say  to  you,  love  your  enemies,  bless  those  who  curse 
you,  do  good  to  those  who  hate  you,  and  pray  for  those  who  persecute 
you,  that  you  may  become  sons  of  your  Father  in  heaven;  for  he  causes 
his  sun  to  rise  on  the  bad  and  good  ahke,  and  sends  rain  on  both  those 
who  do  right  and  those  who  do  wrong.  For  if  you  love  only  those  who 
love  you,  what  reward  have  you  earned?  Do  not  even  the  tax-gatherers 
as  much?  And  if  you  show  courtesy  only  to  your  friends,  what  more 
are  you  doing  than  others?  Do  not  even  the  heathen  as  much?  You 
must  therefore  become  perfect,  even  as  your  heavenly  Father  is  perfect. 
Matt.  6:  42-48. 

Therefore,  whatsoever  you  wish  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  even 
so  to  them;  this  is  the  summing  up  of  the  law  and  the  prophets.  Matt. 
7:12.     (Shorter  Bible  translation.) 


The  Infinite  Worth  of  the  Individual. 

The  world  war  has  brought  into  common  use  the  word 
democracy,  and  men  are  seeking  to  apply  democratic  principles 
to  every  phase  of  human  life.  In  a  political  sense  President 
Wilson  declared  that  the  chief  aim  of  the  Great  War  was  to 
make  the  world  safe  for  democracy.  In  the  business  field  we 
are  hearing  much  from  different  types  of  reformers  of  an 
industrial  democracy. 

In  all  these  applications  of  the  word  there  is  the  common 
thought  that  the  people,  ''just  folks,'*  are  to  be  seriously 
considered  and  that  they  should  have  an  active  part  themselves 
in  determining  their  own  rights  and  in  directing  their  own 
affairs. 

The  fundamental  principle  in  Jesus*  plan  for  a  social 
democracy  is  that  each  individual  is  of  infinite  worth  and  that 
society  should  provide  for  his  fullest  and  highest  development. 


Personal  Responsibility  49 

Jesus  taught  that  the  consciousness  on  the  part  of  the  individual 
of  his  own  worth  and  personal  responsibility  springs  from  the 
thought  that  God  himself  recognizes  the  value  of  the  individual. 
''As  for  you,  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  numbered.'' 
"Consider  the  lihes  of  the  field,  how  they  grow;  they  toil  not, 
neither  do  they  spin;  yet  I  say  to  you,  that  even  Solomon  in 
all  his  glory  was  not  clothed  Hke  one  of  these.  But  if  God  so 
clothes  the  grass  of  the  field,  which  exists  to-day  and  to-morrow 
is  cast  into  the  oven,  shall  he  not  much  more  clothe  you,  O  you 
of  little  faith?"  To  his  humble,  uneducated  disciples  Jesus 
declared:  "You  are  the  salt  of  the  earth.  You  are  the  light  of 
the  world."  Throughout  his  entire  teachings  he  makes  it  clear 
that  in  the  sight  of  God  each  man's  worth  lies  within  himself 
and  is  not  at  all  dependent  upon  worldly  rank  or  power.  It  is 
not  even  dependent  upon  intellectual  strength  or  wisdom,  but 
rather  upon  his  essential  manhood  and  upon  his  moral  upright- 
ness and  devotion  to  the  noblest  social  ideals. 

Jesus  saw  the  potential  worth  of  each  individual.  Levi 
the  grafting  tax-gatherer,  and  the  pitiable  women  of  the  streets 
were,  as  he  found  them,  of  little  value  to  themselves  or  to 
society.  In  fact  they  were  doubtless  doing  more  harm  than 
good;  but  Jesus  gave  them  a  vision  of  what  they  might  be  and 
do,  and  then  taught  them  how  to  demonstrate  their  worth. 
Measured  thus  by  the  standards  of  potential  worth,  each  son 
or  daughter  of  man,  however  physically,  mentally  or  morally 
degraded  he  may  be,  is  potentially  a  princely  son  or  daughter 
of  God  and  therefore  is  regarded  and  treated  by  Jesus  with 
the  noblest  consideration.  This  attitude  toward  all  mankind 
is  the  corner  stone  of  any  true  democracy.  It  is  the  conviction 
of  this  which  gave  birth  to  democracy  and  underlies  all  demo- 
cratic effort.  The  welfare,  happiness  and  social  opportunity 
of  the  individual  is  the  final  object  of  democratic  organiza- 
tion. 


What  are  the  dangers  and  what  are  the  benefits  of  the 
individual's  recognition  of  the  worth  of  his  soul  in  the  sight 
of  God?  What  more  is  needed  to  form  a  democracy  of  a  high 
type  than  individuals  of  a  high  type?  What  do  you  understand 
by  the  expressions  "social  mind"  and  "community  purpose" 
in  their  relation  to  the  thought  and  action  of  individuals? 


60  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

II. 

The  Responsibility  of  the  Individual. 

If  the  individual  has  worth,  people  will  expect  him  to 
assume  the  responsibility  for  all  his  acts.  With  value  naturally 
goes  responsibihty.  Jesus  himself  followed  this  principle  which 
he  had  been  the  first  to  recognize  for  all  men.  Nowhere  in  his 
teachings  do  we  find  any  intimation  that  he  himself  would 
evade  the  responsibihty  of  any  of  his  acts  or  of  his  teachings 
by  following  bhndly  the  judgment  or  the  doctrines  of  any 
teacher  of  his  own  time  or  the  teachings  of  the  ancient  Law  or 
the  Prophets.  On  the  contrary,  carefully  as  he  had  studied 
liieir  teachings,  he  always  assumed  the  responsibihty  of  thinking 
them  through  and  interpreting  them  in  the  hght  of  his  own 
experience  and  reason. 

•  The  people  of  his  own  day  recognized  the  difference  in  this 
respect  between  his  work  and  that  of  other  teachers.  ''He 
taught  as  one  having  authority  and  not  as  the  scribes."  He 
himself  was  in  the  habit  of  saying,  '*lt  has  been  said  of  old 
time,"  and  then  following  his  quotation  with  the  words,"  But  I 
say  to  you."  By  such  a  method  he  did  not  attempt  to  under- 
mine the  authority  of  the  ancient  teachings,  but  rather  to 
emphasize  the  fact  that  true  as  those  teachings  are,  they  must 
be  interpreted  in  the  light  of  the  new  conditions  of  his  day  and 
that  it  is  not  wise  nor  right  for  any  individual  to  follow  blindly 
the  teachings  of  another.  He  must  make  his  own  decisions  in 
the  light  of  his  own  experience.  Jesus  said,  ''I  came  not  to 
destroy  but  to  fulfill,"  but  the  law  cannot  be  inteUigently  or 
truly  fulfilled  except  by  interpreting  it  and  applying  it  to 
contemporary  conditions.  'Tor  the  letter  kills,  but  the  spirit 
^ves  life."    It  is  in  the  spirit  of  the  law  that  its  truth  consists. 

Jesus  nowhere  intimates  that  any  of  his  disciples  can  evade 
personal  responsibihty  for  their  acts.  He  nowhere  suggests 
that  they  should  thoughtlessly  rely  upon  the  teachings  of  the 
priests  or  of  other  leaders  or  even  on  himself.  When  they 
follow  him  they  must  also  accept  his  principles  and  assume 
personal  responsibihty.  He  left  few  or  no  specific  teachings 
about  the  details  of  great  social  problems  such  as  slavery, 
temperance,  and  industrial  organizations.  They  must,  of 
course,  be  worked  out  in  the  hght  of  conditions  existing  at  the 
time,  and  individuals  must  take  the  responsibihty  of  deahng 
with  them  as  they  arise. 


Personal  Responsibility  51 

'  What  is  the  moral  effect  of  forcing  a  man  against  his  will 
to  obey  rules  or  laws  that  he  dislikes  and  in  which  he  does  not 
believe?  How  would  such  forced  action  eventually  affect  his 
acts  and  his  character? 

Give  some  illustrations  of  acts  that  are  morally  right  in 
one  country  but  morally  wrong  in  another  country.  Can  you 
state  any  conditions  under  which  a  private  citizen  should  take 
the  responsibility  of  interpreting  a  law  of  his  country  contrary 
to  the  decisions  of  the  higher  courts? 


III. 

Independence  op  Judgment. 

Independence  of  judgment  is  a  necessity  if  man  is  to 
assume  responsibility.  On  all  the  insistent  problems  of  his 
day  Jesus  formed  his  own  definite  opinions,  and  when  asked, 
frankly  stated  them,  even  though  his  statement  aroused  the 
bitter  antagonism  of  the  religious  leaders  of  Judaism.  He 
believed  that  Rome  had  performed  a  real  service  to  the  world 
and  plainly  said  that  the  peoples  who  had  profited  by  it 
should  make  a  corresponding  return,  even  though  to  pay  trib- 
ute to  Rome  was  regarded  as  treason  by  the  majority  of  the 
Jews  of  the  day.  In  the  same  way,  by  act  as  well  as  by 
word,  he  revealed  his  own  independent  judgment  regarding 
the  significance  of  the  Sabbath,  although  it  aroused  the  hot 
indignation  of  the  Pharisees  (cf .  p.  82,  84).  He  also  took  direct 
issue  with  the  orthodox  Jewish  doctrine  regarding  the  fife  of 
the  individual  after  death  (cf.  p.  35).  Thus  before  his  fol- 
lowers he  set  the  example  of  independent  judgment  on  all 
religious  as  well  as  secular  questions.  He  also  refused  to 
subject  his  disciples  to  the  onerous  and  meaningless  ceremonial 
laws  upon  which  the  Pharisees  strenuously  insisted  (Mark 
7:  1-16). 

More  than  that,  Jesus  repeatedly  encouraged  and  even 
compelled  his  disciples  to  form  independent  judgments.  During 
the  last  period  of  retirement  with  them,  he  first  asked  them 
what  men  thought  about  him;  then  he  put  the  momentous 
question  to  them  directly:  "Who  do  you  think  that  I  am?" 
All  their  previous  training  had  been  to  prepare  them  for  this 
crisis,  and  when  Peter's  reply  indicated  that  he  was  capable  of 


52  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

forming  a  judgment  independent  of  the  orthodox  religious 
leaders  of  his  day,  the  Master's  enthusiasm  was  unbounded. 

In  all  his  endeavors  to  save  man  and  to  develop  perfect 
manhood  Jesus  did  not  aim,  as  did  the  other  teachers  of  has  day, 
to  lay  down  detailed  laws  which  they  were  blindly  to  obey,  but 
he  tried  to  lead  them  to  perceive  and  accept  certain  broad  princi- 
ples which  they  could  apply  to  each  specific  question  that  arose. 
Even  obedience  to  Jesus'  commands  calls  for  independent 
judgment  of  the  highest  order.  "You  shall  know  the  truth, 
and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free"  reveals  Jesus'  method  as  a 
teacher.  Whenever  his  followers  in  later  ages  have  abandoned 
his  method  and  emphasized  not  the  spirit  but  the  letter  that 
kills,  not  only  the  church  but  the  individual  has  suffered.  To 
all  his  disciples  Jesus  first  said,  "Follow  me";  then  "Go." 

Give  other  illustrations  of  Jesus'  independence  of  judgment; 
of  his  effort  to  develop  independent  judgment  on  the  part  of 
his  disciples.  By  what  tests  can  you  distinguish  independence 
of  judgment  from  obstinacy  or  narrow-mindedness?  What  is 
the  difference  between  independent  judgment  and  dogmatism? 


IV. 

Tolerance. 

If  an  individual  demands  independence  of  judgment 
for  himself,  and  assumes  the  responsibihty  for  his  acts,  he 
must  of  course  grant  that  same  independence  of  judgment  to 
others  even  though  their  judgment,  as  will  frequently  happen, 
differs  from  his  own.  To  be  consistent  he  must  be  tolerant  of 
others. 

This  toleration  is  another  of  the  fundamental  principles 
of  democracy.  Only  those  who  can  recognize,  without  bitter- 
ness of  feeling  and  without  a  desire  to  coerce  others,  their 
differences  in  judgment,  are  fully  qualified  to  be  citizens  in  a 
real  democracy.  The  spirit  of  tolerance  is  necessary  for  the 
satisfactory  working  out  of  the  rule  of  the  majority. 

This  spirit  of  tolerance  Jesus  likewise  exhibited  in  a  marked 
degree.  There  was  no  lack  of  clearness  or  of  vigor  in  his  own 
decisions.  There  is  no  lack  of  clearness  in  the  conditions  which 
he  lays  down  for  those  who  would  become  his  followers,  but  in 


Personal  Responsibility  53 

stating  those  conditions  he  is  simply  building  upon  psycholog- 
ical and  social  facts.  He  is  stating  psychological,  mental,  and 
moral  laws  which  actually  work  in  society.  Those  rules  enforce 
themselves  through  the  processes  of  nature's  laws.  No  coercion, 
physical  or  mental,  can  affect  their  action,  and  Jesus  makes  no 
effort  to  coerce.  Nowhere  in  his  teachings  do  we  find  any 
instances  of  any  desire  to  coerce  or  of  any  feeling  of  hostility 
toward  others  on  account  of  differences  of  opinion. 

Vigorous  in  denunciation  he  is  at  times.  Perhaps  nowhere 
in  Uterature  can  we  find  a  more  striking  example  of  scathing 
denunciation  than  in  his  onslaught  upon  the  scribes  and  Phari- 
sees. "Woe  to  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  You 
shut  in  men's  faces  the  door  to  the  rule  of  Heaven;  for  you 
neither  enter  yourselves  nor  let  those  enter  who  wish  to  come 
in.  Woe  to  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  For  you 
scour  sea  and  land  to  gain  a  single  convert,  and  when  you 
succeed,  you  make  him  twice  as  great  a  son  of  hell  as  yourselves. 
Woe  to  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  For  you  pay 
to  the  temple  the  tenth  part  of  the  produce  of  your  mint,  anise, 
and  cummin,  and  have  neglected  the  weightier  requirements  of 
the  law :  justice,  mercy,  fideUty.  Bhnd  guides,  who  strain  out  the 
gnat  and  swallow  the  camel !  Woe  to  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
hypocrites!  For  you  make  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup  and  the 
plate,  and  then  fill  them  with  your  extortion  and  self-indulgence. 
BUnd  Pharisee!  first  make  clean  the  inside  of  the  cup,  that  the 
outside  as  well  may  become  clean.  Woe  to  you,  scribes  and 
Pharisees,  hypocrites!  For  you  are  like  whitewashed  tombs, 
beautiful  without,  but  within  full  of  dead  men's  bones  and 
utter  filth.  So  you  yourselves  appear  upright,  and  within  are 
filled  with  hypocrisy  and  sin."  (Matt.  23:  13-15,  23-28;  Shorter 
Bible  translation.) 

These  denunciations  are  not  because  of  differences  of 
opinion  but  because  of  the  hypocrisy,  treachery  and  selfishness 
of  the  men  to  whom  they  are  addressed.  Even  when  he  goes 
beyond  mere  denunciation  and  utters  words  of  scorn  and  con- 
tempt that  must  have  stung  worse  than  the  blows  of  the  whip 
with  which  he  drove  the  desecrators  of  his  Father's  house  fl-om 
the  temple,  he  is  not  intolerant  of  differences  of  opinion.  He  is 
condemning  actual  violators  of  the  law  and  graspjng  usurers. 
Consider  on  the  other  hand  the  readiness  with  which  he  dis- 
cusses frankly  and  directly  questions  of  religion  with  Simon  the 


54  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

Zealot  or  Levi  the  tax-collector.  The  way  in  which  he  sums 
up  the  commandments  into  his  new  commandment,  "You 
shall  love  your  neighbor  as  yourself, "  shows  the  greatest  breadth 
of  view  in  individual  interpretation  of  the  law,  so  long  as  the 
spirit  of  the  individual  is  right  and  his  attitude  toward  others 
unselfish.  Keeping  fully  in  mind  the  customs  of  his  day,  note 
also  his  attitude  toward  the  woman  taken  in  adultery.  His 
attitude  toward  her  accusers,  who,  he  strongly  intimates,  are 
probably  hypocrites  and  insincere,  is  most  condemnatory;  but 
toward  the  woman,  whom  he  doubtless  beheves  repentant  and 
sincere,  he  is  tolerant.  "Did  no  man  condemn  you?'*  "No 
man.  Lord.''  "Neither  do  I  condemn  you;  go  your  way; 
henceforth  sin  no  more."  So  long  as  the  present  pm-pose  is 
pure  and  right,  no  former  act,  however  contrary  to  one's  own 
views,  merits  the  bitterness  of  condemnation,  even  though  it 
must  be  disapproved  for  the  sake  of  others  and  of  society. 

Even  when  he  heard  that  another  was  casting  out  demons 
by  the  use  of  his  name,  he  showed  no  sign  of  jealousy  but 
welcomed  the  good  deed,  saying  that  if  one  did  a  good  deed  in 
his  name  he  would  not  be  able  quickly  to  speak  evil  regarding 
him.  The  great  Teacher  was  modest,  thoughtful,  tolerant  in  all 
his  ways,  and  apparently,  Hke  Socrates,  ready  to  discuss  his 
views  with  others.  As  a  teaching  principle,  the  freedom  of 
discussion  is  essential  to  the  best  work.  People  grow  intel- 
lectually not  so  much  by  the  passive  acceptance  of  truths  given 
them  as  by  the  creative  thinlang  out  of  principles  and  decisions 
from  facts  and  ideas  laid  before  them  in  discussion  or  through 
questions. 

When  in  a  discussion  of  a  political  question  with  a  group 
of  men  as  well  informed  on  such  questions  as  yourself,  you 
find  yourself  in  the  minority,  why  do  you  not  accept  the  judg- 
ment of  the  majority  and  admit  that  you  are  wrong?  Why 
ought  you  carefully  to  review  your  grounds  of  judgment  before 
denouncing  your  opponents?  Why  did  Jesus  not  admit  himself 
in  the  wrong  when  he  found  himself  alone  against  a  city  full  of 
opponents? 

Why  is  success  in  changing  the  views  of  many  opponents 
not  a  sufficient  proof  of  the  soundness  of  a  man's  judgment  on 
a  controversial  question?  How  can  one  be  sure  of  one's 
judgment?    What  is  the  safe  test? 


Personal  Responsibility 


The  Necessity  of  Preparation  for  Responsibility. 

If  a  man  is  to  think  and  judge  independently  and  bear  his 
own  responsibiUty,  he  must  not  make  hasty  judgments.  This 
is  essential  both  for  his  own  sake  and  for  that  of  others  whom 
his  acts  affect.  In  any  society,  especially  if  the  form  of  govern- 
ment is  democratic,  the  persons  upon  whom  rests  the  respon- 
sibiUty of  guiding  the  aJffairs  of  others  should  make  careful 
preparation  and  know  the  probable  consequences  of  their  acts. 
We  need  better  trained  legislators  and  executives  and  even 
judges. 

Jesus  recognized  this  principle  far  more  than  is  ordinarily 
thought.  Too  often  we  have  assumed  that  Jesus  was  so  imbued 
in  some  miraculous  way  with  the  spirit  of  God  that  he  had  no 
need  of  preparation  for  his  life  work.  The  records,  however, 
teach  quite  the  contrary.  We  know  from  the  account  given  of 
his  discussion  with  the  elders  in  the  temple  when  he  was  twelve 
years  of  age,  that  even  as  a  child  he  possessed  a  maturity  of 
knowledge  and  of  judgment  that  deeply  impressed  even  the 
wisest  men  of  his  day;  yet  in  spite  of  this  remarkable  intel- 
lectual capacity,  or  perhaps  because  of  this  unusual  maturity, 
Jesus  himself  did  not  venture  to  undertake  pubUc  teaching  or  to 
appear  as  a  leader  of  the  people  until  he  had  spent  fully  twenty 
years  in  work  and  study. 

The  exact  nature  of  his  preparation  we  do  not  know,  but 
it  is  evident  that  he  studied  thoroughly  the  Law  and  the 
Prophets.  He  had  probably  the  advantages  of  listening  to  the 
teaching  of  Hillel,  the  wisest  of  the  progressive  commentators 
of  his  day.  He  had  worked  as  a  carpenter,  and  in  all  Hkehhood 
as  master  carpenter  he  had  been  an  employer  of  labor.  Through 
these  various  associations  he  normally  acquired  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  human  nature,  and  from  the  records  of  his  Hfe 
and  his  teachings  we  see  how  profound  his  knowledge  had 
become. 

In  the  accoimt  given  of  the  temptations,  we  get  the  best 
lunt  of  his  habit  of  self -analysis  in  connection  with  his  prepara- 
tion for  his  own  life  work.  Evidently  in  determining  his  hfe 
plans  he  had  to  face  and  reject  the  normal,  urgent  temptations 
of  all  strong  men  to  devote  himself  to  acquiring  wealth,  to  the 
pursuit  of  fame  and  popularity,  and  especially  the  strong 


56  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

temptation  to  dominate  other  people  and  become  a  political 
leader,  as  many  of  his  followers  later  desired  and  urged.  It  is 
evident  that  he  might  easily  have  attained  a  prominent,  if  not 
even  a  domihant  position  in  any  one  of  these  directions  had  he 
determined  so  to  shape  his  hfe.  It  is,  however,  also  evident 
that,  with  his  power  of  analyzing  human  nature  and  social 
conditions,  he  saw  clearly  that  the  attainment  of  any  one  of 
these  ends  would  be  absolutely  fatal  to  the  success  of  his  real 
life  work,  that  of  putting  into  active  worldng  effect  in  society 
his  few  but  profound  principles  of  living,  which  would  in  the 
process  of  time  so  regenerate  individuals  that  there  would  be 
brought  about  a  reorganized  society  of  such  a  type  that  it 
might  well  be  called  the  Rule  of  God. 

If  Jesus  had  been  a  man  of  great  wealth,  how  would  he 
have  been  handicapped  in  his  work  of  regeneration?  What 
were  his  reasons  for  urging  those  cured  by  him  to  tell  no  one 
about  it? 

If  he  had  become  a  powerful  king  ruling  Palestine  or  even 
the  Roman  Empire,  how  would  that  position  have  affected  the 
establishment  of  his  moral  and  spiritual  leadership  of  humanity? 


VI. 

Practical  Application  of  the  Golden  Rule. 

Jesus  summed  up  the  practical  social  application  of  his 
principles  of  living  in  the  Golden  Rule.  "Whatever  you  wish 
that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  even  so  to  them."  The  law  of 
love,  in  its  negative  form  at  least,  had  been  formulated  by 
many  different  social  religious  teachers.  Confucius,  for  example, 
had  summed  it  up  in  "Do  not  unto  others  that  which  you  do 
not  wish  them  to  do  to  you,"  and  the  same  idea  is  found  Ukewise 
in  the  teachings  of  the  greater  prophets.  Buddha  in  his  teach- 
ings had  laid  great  emphasis  upon  the  principle  of  service. 
Even  at  the  present  time  in  Burma  and  other  countries  where 
Buddhism  flourishes,  we  often  see  bridges,  temples,  and  gifts 
of  various  kinds  presented  to  the  public  in  order  that  the  giver, 
to  use  the  Buddhistic  expression,  "may  acquire  merit." 

Jesus  then,  in  the  enunciation  of  the  law  of  love,  simply 
made  more  positive,  more  emphatic   the  same  doctrine  that 


Personal  Responsibility  57 

others  in  other  lands  had  promulgated  even  earlier  than  he. 
Though  it  is  probable  that  the  greatest  single  contribution  to 
social  and  political  philosophy  that  Jesus  made  is  found,  as 
has  been  indicated,  in  the  principle  of  personal  responsibility, 
yet  we  should  not  forget  that  that  principle  loses  its  chief 
social  significance  unless  the  individual  is  inspired  by  the  spirit 
of  service.  There  must  be  co-operation  among  men  in  all  the 
relations  of  life,  if  the  best  results  are  to  be  attained. 

Is  this  rule  of  love  practical?  How  is  it  applicable  in 
everyday  affairs?  Until  within  the  last  few  years  many  busi- 
ness men  were  in  the  habit  of  saying  that  this  rule,  while 
idealistically  beautiful,  could  not  be  employed  in  business. 
Many  statesmen  at  the  present  day  think  that  it  is  not  appHcable 
in  governmental  affairs,  especially  in  international  deaKngs. 
There  is,  however,  at  present  a  large  and  rapidly  growing 
group  of  both  publicists  and  business  men  who  beheve  that  this 
rule  is  not  only  applicable,  but  is  the  only  sound  principle  to 
apply  in  both  public  and  private  life.  Doubtless  an  individual 
will  at  times  lose  in  material  things,  for  a  short  period  at  least, 
by  attempting  to  live  up  strictly  to  this  principle  of  devotion 
to  the  welfare  of  others,  and  yet  in  the  end,  as  has  been  noted, 
it  is  appHcable  in  both  pohtics  and  business. 

A  few  years  ago,  the  conscientious  mayor  of  Toledo, 
because  he  attempted  to  apply  this  principle  in  his  adminis- 
tration of  the  city^s  business,  was  called  "Golden  Rule  Jones." 
Some  of  the  leading  business  men  considered  him  unpractical, 
even  fanatical,  but  most  believed  him  honest  and  sincere  and 
the  majority  thought  his  administration  good  and  sound.  Its 
influence  on  the  city  government  has  been  felt  ever  since. 

In  business,  too,  it  is  rapidly  becoming  axiomatic  that 
service  to  cUents  and  customers  is  essential  to  success.  *'The 
customer  is  always  right '*  is  considered  a  sound  business 
principle,  even  though  often  abused  by  the  customer.  Practic- , 
ally  all  of  our  great  business  houses  have  adopted  it. 

Even  more  striking  perhaps  is  the  attempt,  especially 
since  the  experiences  of  the  World  War,  to  work  out  this  spirit 
by  co-operation  in  industry,  particularly  between  workmen 
and  employers.  This  spirit  is  a  necessary  corollary  to  the 
principle  of  individual  responsibility  if  the  best  results  are  to 
be  attained  in  any  field.  Each  man  while  bearing  his  respon- 
sibiUty  should  devote  his  work  and  himself  to  the  welfare  of 


68  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

the  community.  In  industry,  when  this  spirit  obtains,  work- 
men and  employers  work  together  in  harmony  and  it  is  easy 
and  normal  for  the  workmen  to  share  in  the  responsibiUties  of 
management  in  matters  that  affect  them  and  their  work. 

This  co-operation  —  working  together  —  differs,  of  course, 
in  form  from  that  industrial  co-operation  in  which  the  workmen 
furnish  also  the  capital. 

Too  often,  especially  in  bygone  days,  Christian  teachers 
have  placed  an  overemphasis  upon  charity  in  the  sense  of 
gifts  to  beggars,  whom  they  have  assumed  to  be  needy.  While 
Jesus  sou^t  to  inspire  a  spirit  of  kindness  and  helpfulness, 
we  have  no  reason  to  think  that  he  encouraged  indiscriminate 
giving.  He  knew  the  need  of  those  whom  he  healed  and  other- 
wise blessed.  Throughout  his  life  and  throughout  his  teachings 
there  runs  a  spirit  of  sanity  and  of  good  judgment  which  would 
forbid  any  act  that  would  encourage  fraud.  Moreover,  the 
great  emphasis  that  he  does  place  upon  giving  appHes  rather 
to  the  effect  upon  the  giver  than  upon  the  recipient.  It  is  the 
spirit  of  love  for  one's  fellow  men  that  he  stresses. 

In  all  things,  therefore,  in  the  duty  and  the  happiness 
that  we  should  have  in  promoting  the  welfare  of  others,  we 
should  not  forget  that  the  responsibihty  rests  upon  us  to  employ 
our  property  and  ourselves  in  whatever  way  will  serve  best  the 
interests  of  the  conununity.  And  the  responsibihty  rests  upon 
us  to  make  a  careful  study  of  the  situation  so  that  our  services 
may  not  be  rendered  amiss.  This  imposes  upon  every  one  then 
the  duty  of  studying  his  own  capacities,  his  own  resources,  and 
the  ways  in  which  he  can  best  serve  others.  Some  may  work 
best  in  giving,  others  in  teaching  or  preaching,  others  in  manag- 
ing a  business  in  a  keen  but  conscientious  way,  others  in  main- 
taining order  in  the  community  as  police  or  in  upholding  the 
cause  of  justice  and  righteousness  by  bearing  arms  in  warfare. 
The  question  is  of  the  reahty  of  the  service  rather  than  of  its 
form,  and  the  individual  can  no  more  escape  the  responsibility 
of  selecting  the  type  of  service  which  he  can  best  render  than 
he  can  escape  the  responsibihty  of  guiding  his  personal  Kfe  in 
other  ways.  Often  for  fear  that  he  may  be  charged  with  self- 
seeking,  a  strong  man  hesitates  to  run  for  a  poHtical  office  or 
to  push  himself  into  a  position  of  prominence;  but  leadership 
is  one  of  the  rare  gifts  and  one  should  not  shirk  the  respon- 
sibihty of  leadership  whether  the  opportunity  is  due  to  natural 


Personal  Responsibility  59 

qualities,  to  wealth,  social  prestige  or  other  causes,  any  more 
than  he  should  hesitate  to  assume  less  prominent  responsibiU- 
ties. 


Why  is  a  conscious  recognition  of  one's  own  powers,  even 
if  they  be  superior  to  those  of  most  other  men,  compatible  with 
humiUty?  Name  as  many  great  men  as  possible  —  scientists, 
business  men,  statesmen  —  who  are  boastful  in  manner  and 
spirit.  Name  others  who  are  modest.  How  often  is  a  man 
whose  eyes  are  open  to  opportunities  for  service  hkely  to  see 
social  tasks  confronting  him  that  are  beyond  his  power  to 
complete?  Distinguish  the  spirit  of  independence  in  judgment 
from  that  of  vain  self-sufficiency.  Show  the  way  in  which  the 
principle  of  individual  responsibility  can  be  successfully  applied 
throughout  a  large  business  from  the  superintendent  tlurough 
all  the  grades  of  workmen  to  the  lowest.  ""^ 


Subjects  for  Further  Study, 

(1)  Cite  passages  in  the  New  Testament  which  support  the  thesis 
that  Jesus  held  each  man  responsible  in  the  sight  of  God  for  all  his  acts. 

(2)  Compare  Jesus'  attitude  and  that  of  the  ordinary  police  official 
toward  the  women  of  the  street. 

(3)  Cite  New  Testament  passages  giving  Jesus*  conception  of  the 
dignity  and  possibilities  of  men. 

(4)  Give  some  example  of  industrial  co-operation  in  which  the  capital 
is  owned  by  the  workmen. 

(5)  The  dean  of  a  Southern  college  recently  remarked,  "I  have  found 
men  who  are  bigoted  almost  universallv  morally  unrehable.  When  they 
are  present,  I  always  look  out  for  my  pocket-book,  whether  they  be  students 
or  clergymen.  I  am  inclined  to  thmk  that  the  reason  is  that  this  class 
substitute  orthodoxy  for  religion."  How  far  are  his  conclusions 
correct? 

(6)  What  are  the  teachings  of  modern  psychology  regarding  the 
relations  of  men's  motives  and  their  acts?  Compare  these  teachings  with 
those  of  Jesus.   Cf .  Psychologies  of  James,  Dewey,  Angell. 

(7)  Work  out  a  plan  by  which  a  contractor  who  is  building  a  house 
can  place  responsibihty  upon  each  of  his  workmen:  masons,  carpenters, 
painters,  plumbers,  and  unskilled  workmen,  without  relaxing  discipline  or 
disorganizing  his  working  force.  If  possible,  provide  for  paying  each  in 
proportion  to  the  service  rendered. 

(8)  Compare  the  views  of  Jesus  regarding  resistance  to  the  evils  of 
society  with  those  of  Presidents  Washington,  Lincoln,  Roosevelt  and 
Wilson. 


60  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

CHAPTER  VI. 
THE  VALUE  AND  USE  OF  WEALTH. 

Parallel  Readings. 

Kent,  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,  pp.  225-240. 

Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  177-216. 

FoUett,  The  New  State,  pp.  162-185. 

Once  when  Jesus  was  journeying  on  the  highway,  a  man  ran  up  and 
knelt  before  him  and  asked,  "Good  Master,  what  must  I  do  that  I  may 
inherit  eternal  Ufe?"  Jesus  said  to  him,  "Why  do  you  call  me  good?  No 
one  is  good  except  one  only:  God.  You  know  the  commandments:  'Do 
not  commit  adultery.  Do  not  murder.  Do  not  steal.  Do  not  bear  false 
witness.  Do  not  defraud.  Honor  thy  father  and  mother.  *  "  He  said  to 
him,  "Master,  I  have  kept  all  these  commands  from  my  vouth.'*  Looking 
upon  him,  Jesus  loved  him  and  said,  "One  thing  you  lack:  go,  sell  all  that 
you  have  and  give  the  proceeds  to  the  poor,  and  you  will  have  treasure  in 
heaven.  Then  come  with  me."  But  at  this  his  countenance  fell,  and  he 
went  away  in  sorrow,  for  he  had  great  possessions. 

»*^  Then  Jesus  looked  around  and  said  to  his  disciples,  *'How  diflBcult  it 
is  for  those  who  have  wealth  to  come  under  the  rule  of  God!"  They  were 
amazed  at  his  words,  but  again  he  said,  "Children,  how  difficult  it  is  for 
those  who  trust  in  wealth  to  come  under  the  rule  of  God.  It  is  easier  for 
a  camel  to  go  through  a  needle's  eye  than  for  a  rich  man  to  come  imder 
the  rule  of  God."  And  they  were  so  astonished  that  they  exclaimed, 
"Then  who  can  be  saved?"  Jesus  looked  at  them  and  said,  "With  men  it 
is  impossible,  but  not  with  God,  for  with  God  everything  is  possible." 
Mark  10: 17-27. 

Once  as  Jesus  was  sitting  opposite  the  treasury  of  the  temple,  he 
watched  the  manner  in  which  the  people  put  in  their  money.  Many  rich 
men  were  putting  in  large  sums,  but  a  poor  woman  came  and  dropped  in 
two  small  coins  amounting  to  less  than  a  penny.  He  called  his  disciples 
and  said  to  them,  "I  assure  you,  this  poor  widow  has  given  more  than  all 
the  rest  who  have  put  their  money  into  the  treasury,  for  they  have  con- 
tributed out  of  then*  surplus,  but  she  out  of  her  poverty  has  contributed 
all  that  she  owns,  her  very  subsistence.       Mark  12:  J^l-44' 

He  who  is  faithful  to  the  smaller  trust  is  faithful  also  to  the  larger, 
and  he  who  is  dishonest  in  the  smaller  is  dishonest  also  in  the  larger  trust. 
If  therefore  you  have  not  been  faithful  in  the  use  of  worldly  wealth,  who 
will  intrust  to  you  the  true  riches?  If  you  have  not  been  faithful  in  what 
belongs  to  another,  who  will  give  you  what  is  your  own?  Luke  16: 10-12. 
(Shorter  Bible  translation.) 

I. 

The  Standard  by  Which  Jesus  Measured  Wealth. 

It  is  significant  that  at  least  for  three-fourths  of  his  life 
Jesus  was  an  active  business  man;  hence  his  deep  interest  in 
economic  questions.    His  occupation  allied  him  primarily  with 


The  Value  and  Use  of  Wealth  61 

the  laboring  class.  The  Greek  word  ordinarily  translated 
carpenter,  means  more  exactly  builder  or  constructor.  Since 
most  of  the  buildings  were  of  stone,  the  work  in  wood  included 
simply  doors,  shelves,  floors,  beams,  and  stairs.  Probably 
Joseph  and  his  sons  constructed  walls  as  well  as  the  woodwork 
in  the  Nazareth  buildings.  Jesus  himself  reveals  in  his  parables 
an  intimate  interest  in  all  such  occupations.  Consider  for 
example  the  parable  of  the  two  houses,  one  built  on  the  sand, 
the  other  on  the  rocks.  He  shares  with  his  disciples  their 
interest  in  the  foundations  of  the  temple  at  Jerusalem. 

Further  evidence  strongly  suggests  that  Jesus  was  not 
only  a  manual  laborer  but  also  a  master  builder.  The  con- 
versation in  Luke  14:30,  in  which  he  urges  the  importance  of 
considering  the  cost  before  beginning  to  build,  reveals  the 
practical  experience  of  a  man  accustomed  to  advise  those  who 
wished  to  build.  Many  of  his  parables  suggest  the  point  of  view 
of  the  employer  of  labor,  as  for  example,  that  of  the  two  sons 
who  worked  for  their  father,  or  the  parable  of  the  talents,  and 
above  all  that  of  the  vineyard  keeper  who  employed  laborers 
for  different  periods  and  insisted  upon  paying  them  the  same 
wage.  Jesus  also  appreciated  the  argument  of  the  centurion 
who  was  accustomed  to  issue  commands  and  to  have  those 
commands  obeyed.  Jesus'  instructions  to  his  disciples  as  he 
sent  them  away  on  a  missionary  tour  reflect  the  point  of  view 
of  a  man  experienced  in  organizing  men  and  in  directing  their 
activities.  AH  this  accumulative  evidence  indicates  that  Jesus 
was  a  master  builder  and  that  he  approached  the  problems 
connected  with  wealth  from  the  point  of  view  both  of  the 
employer  and  the  employee.  With  his  broad  social  spirit  he 
made  his  measure  .of  value  the  ultimate  effect  of  wealth  f  (who- 
ever was  its  owner)  upon  the  community.  ', 

It  has  often  been  assumed  that  Jesus  condemned  the 
accumulation  of  wealth,  that  he  believed  that  men  should  live 
in  poverty,  and  that  the  mere  possession  of  wealth  was  in  itself 
wrong.  There  is  nothing,  however,  in  either  his  teachings  or 
in  his  life  that  justifies  such  a  conclusion.  He  looked  at  wealth 
with  the  same  cool  judgment  with  which  he  surveyed  all  human 
affairs,  noting  its  perils  and  its  benefits.  We  find  him  associat- 
ing freely  with  the  wealthy  as  well  as  with  the  poor,  and  in  no 
case  do  we  find  any  condemnation  of  wealth  as  such. 

It  is  true  that  he  very  frequently  expressed  sympathy  for 


62  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

the  poor.  That  is  of  course  natural.  We  ourselves  note  the 
sufiFering  of  the  poor  much  more  frequently  and  more  easily 
than  the  sufferings  of  the  rich.  We  find  it  easier  to  alleviate  the 
sufferings  of  the  poor  than  to  Hghten  the  burdens  of  the  rich, 
so  that  it  is  natural  that  Jesus'  sympathetic  relations  with  the 
poor  should  be  more  frequently  mentioned.  Nevertheless,  we 
find  that  as  he  associated  with  the  rich,  he  spoke  to  them  with 
the  same  frankness  as  to  the  poor,  and  that  apparently  he 
dealt  with  them  Hkewise  on  terms  of  equahty. 

In  his  discussions  regarding  wealth  he  clearly  had  in  mind 
chiefly  its  effect  upon  the  individual  and  through  him  upon 
society.  What  danger  would  the  possession  of  wealth  have  for 
the  development  of  character  of  the  individual?  What  were  its 
temptations?  What  were  the  advantages  to  the  individual? 
Inasmuch  as  he  befieved  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the  individual 
to  devote  himself  and  his  possessions  to  the  welfare  of  society 
as  a  whole,  his  conclusions  regarding  the  value  and  perils  of 
wealth  were  substantially  the  same  as  those  of  the  wisest 
social  reformers  of  to-day. 


From  the  practical  point  of  view  of  efficiency,  what  prin- 
ciples are  embodied  in  Jesus'  directions  to  his  disciples  in 
Luke  10:  3-11?  Why  do  not  wealthy  people  consider  their 
wealth  a  burden  or  a  handicap  to  success?  Are  the  rich  more 
or  are  they  less  envious  of  others  than  are  the  poor,  and  why? 


II. 

The  Perils  op  Wealth. 

While  Jesus  did  not  condemn  wealth,  he  evidently  agreed 
with  the  other  moralist  who  declared  that  the  love  of  wealth  is 
the  root  of  all  evil.  He  fully  reahzed  that  the  possession  of 
wealth,  surrounding  a  man  with  temptations,  might  turn  his 
attention  away  from  social  duties  to  selfish  hving.  There  is 
danger  that  wealth  instead  of  being  used  merely  as  a  means  to 
promote  the  welfare  of  society  will  become  in  a  man's  mind 
an  end  in  itself,  that  instead  of  developing  a  spirit  of  generos- 
ity it  will  promote  a  spirit  of  stinginess  and  selfishness.  We 
find    him   strongly  emphasizing,  therefore,   the    dangers    of 


The  Value  and  Use  of  Wealth  63 

wealth.  While  he  did  not  say  it  was  impossible  for  a  rich 
man  to  retain  his  wealth  and  still  be  a  good  man,  he  did  say 
that  "it  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  a  needle's  eye  than 
for  a  rich  man  to  come  under  the  rule  of  God."  Wealth  at 
times  becomes  a  man's  master;  it  should  always  be  his 
servant. 

The  keenness  of  his  judgment  of  human  nature  and  the 
searching  way  in  which  he  tested  and  attempted  to  cure  its 
weaknesses  are  shown  most  clearly  in  the  story  of  the  rich  man 
who  asked  him  the  way  to  inherit  eternal  life.  Evidently  the 
man  was  one  of  high  moral  character.  All  the  commandments 
he  had  kept  from  his  youth  up.  A  clean-living  man  of  integrity, 
he  made  a  good  impression  upon  Jesus.  Nevertheless  he  was 
apparently  something  of  a  prig  and  disposed  to  estimate  him- 
self more  highly  than  was  justified  by  the  facts.  Jesus,  therefore, 
pricked  the  bubble  of  his  self-conceit  and  proposed  to  him  a 
great  adventure:  "Sell  all  that  you  have  and  give  the  proceeds 
to  the  poor!"  Jesus  had  clearly  read  the  man's  character 
aright.  It  was  the  love  of  wealth  that  was  hindering  him 
rather  than  anything  else,  for  he  was  unable  to  meet  this 
test  of  unselfishness.  Refusing  to  give  up  his  wealth,  he  went 
away  sorrowing.  His  moral  fiber  had  been  sapped  by  his  wealth- 
generated  love  of  ease  and  power  till  he  could  no  longer  make 
the  heroic  sacrifice  needed  to  fulfill  the  high  mission  to  which 
Jesus  called  him.  This  very  real  peril  is  involved  in  the  posses- 
sion of  wealth. 

The  dangers  to  the  individual  from  the  possession  of 
wealth  extend  hkewise  to  social  classes.  With  no  need  of  exer- 
tion or  self-denial  in  order  to  secure  a  Hving  or  the  comforts  of 
fife,  the  wealthy  are  much  more  Hkely  than  the  poor  to  devote 
themselves  to  certain  amusements  which  bring  no  benefit  to 
society  and  to  live  merely  for  the  pursuit  of  pleasure  instead  of 
for  service.  Jesus  did  not  comdemn  the  joyousness  of  living,  but 
his  emphasis  was  placed  upon  service;  and  when  the  pleasures 
of  fife  are  merely  selfish,  instead  of  social,  they  merit  condemna- 
tion. A  very  considerable  proportion  of  life's  pleasures,  when 
sought  merely  for  personal  enjoyment,  are  obtained  by  pander- 
ing to  anti-social  appetites  which  harm  instead  of  improve 
society. 

It  is  surrender  to  the  temptations  of  wealth  rather  than  its 
control  which  Jesus  condemns.    Akin  to  this  is  the  complacent 


64  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

self-satisfaction  seen  at  times  in  those  whose  wealth  enables 
them  to  satisfy  their  wants  and  to  accomplish  results  without 
severe  personal  effort.  They  are  apt  to  become  conceited  and 
unsympathetic,  as  did  Dives  in  Jesus'  parable  of  the  rich  man 
and  Lazarus.  Inherited  wealth  sometimes  bhnds  its  pos- 
sessor's eyes  to  the  real  heroism  and  magnificent  effort  dis- 
played by  the  poor  to  accompUsh  worthy  ends.  Li  their 
blindness  the  rich  thus  become  hard  and  imjust. 

The  perils  of  wealth  may  also  be  felt  by  a  whole  nation  or 
people  through  the  ambitions  and  consequent  evil  actions  of 
their  rulers.  It  is  a  commonplace  that  a  very  considerable 
proportion  of  the  wars  of  history  have  been  caused  by  selfish 
economic  desires.  A  country  with  great  natural  resources  that 
are  useful  from  the  military  viewpoint  is  hkely  to  be  overrun 
and  sacked  by  mihtary  rulers  of  other  countries  seeking  wealth 
through  plunder.  The  love  of  wealth,  therefore,  becomes  not 
merely  a  temptation  which  may  ruin  individual  character,  but 
it  may  be  a  chief  influence  for  the  promotion  of  mihtarism  and 
the  poUtical  and  social  evils  that  accompany  the  war  spirit. 
Inasmuch  as  wealth  is  in  itself  a  source  of  power,  inasmuch  as  it 
tempts  individuals  as  well  as  rulers  to  acquire  the  means  of 
exercising  power,  it  constitutes  thus  internationally  another 
peril.  It  seems  clear  now  tLat  one  of  the  several  motives 
underlying  the  promotion  of  the  economic  development  of 
Germany  during  the  last  century  was  the  desire  that  the  spirit 
of  overlordship  might  attain  its  satisfaction.  The  development 
of  the  economic  resources  of  a  country,  when  turned  toward 
the  increase  of  the  comforts  and  of  the  intellectual  and  moral 
welfare  of  the  individuals  in  the  community,  can  have  only 
good  results;  but  the  same  development,  when  used  for  the 
promotibn  of  unworthy  claims  such  as  the  assertion  of  power 
over  others  and  the  oppression  of  the  weak,  merits  only 
condemnation. 


Explain  why  the  desire  of  France  to  control  the  iron  mines 
of  southwest  Germany  (the  Saar  valley)  after  the  war  is  not  a 
fair  illustration  of  the  temptation  that  wealth  offers? 

Explain  the  desire  of  Japan  to  control  the  great  iron  and 
coal  mines  of  China.  Give  facts  and  reasons  for  your  con- 
clusions. 


The  Value  and  Use  of  Wealth  65 

III. 

The  Acquisition  of  Wealth. 

Connected  with  the  ambitious  lust  for  the  possession  of 
wealth  there  have  arisen  many  questions  which  require  careful 
thought  for  their  solution  and  which  have  seriously  puzzled 
well-intentioned,  thinking  people.  At  various  periods  of  history 
there  have  arisen  political  and  social  parties  whose  principles 
had  to  do  with  the  accumulation  and  distribution  of  wealth. 
For  example,  the  French  and  German  communists  of  the  middle 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  recognizing  many  of  the  evils  that 
came  from  the  unequal  distribution  of  wealth,  reached  the 
conclusion  that  all  wealth  should  be  held  in  common  and  that 
private  property,  in  distinction  from  the  property  of  the  com- 
munity, should  be  condemned.  With  a  vivid  conception  of  the 
evils  that  come  at  times  from  private  possession  of  great  wealth, 
Proudhon  declared  that  ''property  is  theft."  In  somewhat 
extreme  terms  the  sociaHsts  of  every  school  advocate  the  owner- 
ship of  all  the  means  of  production  in  a  community  by  the 
State,  to  be  administered  through  the  Government. 

In  their  misinterpretation  of  the  spirit  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, some  of  these  extreme  theorists  have  spoken  of  Jesus  as 
a  communist,  or  even  as  the  first  of  the  SociaHsts.  In  some  of 
the  experiments  in  communism  that  have  been  attempted  on 
a  small  scale  there  has  been  at  first  much  of  the  unselfish  spirit 
of  Jesus.  They  have  generally  failed,  however,  because  in 
time  the  normal  nature  of  men  reasserted  itself  and  normal 
inequahties  in  ability  and  leadership  brought  about  a  return  to 
the  custom  of  private  property  holding.  We  may  conceive  of  a 
co-operative  commonwealth  in  which  there  would  be  freely 
chosen  government  officials  changing  readily  at  the  people's 
will  and  unselfishly  performing  their  tasks,  while  the  individual 
citizens  still  felt  their  personal  responsibilities  and  acted 
accordingly. 

Such  a  conception  is  as  old  as  Plato  at  least,  and  probably 
much  older.  The  most  successful  attempts  at  the  Socialistic 
state,  in  which  the  Government  has  owned  the  productive 
property  and  managed  industry  and  the  people,  have  been 
despotic  like  ancient  Sparta.  While,  for  a  time,  perhaps, 
successful  from  the  mihtary  viewpoint,  they  have  eventually 
failed  to  develop  individual  personaUty  among  the  people. 


66  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

Indeed  in  the  light  of  history  as  well  as  of  psychology,  the 
whole  idea  of  the  control  and  the  direction  of  the  activities 
of  a  community  by  the  Government,  whether  in  connection 
with  wealth  or  otherwise,  is  directly  contrary  to  the  spirit 
of  the  teachings  of  Jesus,  for  the  control  of  the  activities 
of  society  by  a  government  is  in  direct  opposition  to  the 
self-development  of  the  mass  of  citizens.  It  tends  as  a 
matter  of  experience  to  lessen  the  responsibiUties  and  therefore 
the  development  of  the  average  man  in  society  instead  of 
increasing  them.  Jesus,  on  the  other  hand,  as  we  have  seen, 
continually  emphasized  the  importance  of  the  individual  and 
the  development  of  the  individual's  will  and  intellect  through 
placing  upon  him  the  responsibility  for  his  own  decisions  and 
acts. 

The  extreme  reformer  of  to-day,  going  beyond  the  teachings 
of  Jesus,  often  condemns  the  accumulation  of  great  fortunes 
and  advocates  that  the  government  by  means  of  taxation  or 
sometimes  by  direct  prohibition  hmit  strictly  the  amount  of 
wealth  that  shall  be  accumulated  by  any  individual.  Doubt- 
less the  acquisition  of  wealth  should  be  placed  under  strict 
limitations  as  to  the  methods  employed,  in  order  to  guard  against 
the  dangers  of  improper  use.  However,  if  wealth  is  properly 
used  and  if  proper  means  are  employed  in  its  acquisition,  it 
may  become  one  of  the  chief  sources  of  benei&t  both  to  indi- 
viduals and  to  the  community.  All  measures  of  public  control 
should  be  scrutinized  and  applied  with  due  consideration  for 
the  conmion  interests  of  both  the  individual  and  of  society. 
Care  should  be  taken  not  to  check  individual  initiative  nor 
to  prevent  the  proper  development  of  individual  ambition. 

The  hmit  of  the  power  of  the  individual  to  accumulate 
wealth  or  to  employ  it  wisely  can  hardly  be  measured  by  rule. 
It  has  often  been  asserted  that  no  man  can  really  earn  during 
his  lifetime  a  million  dollars  and  that  therefore  the  ownership 
of  that  amount  of  wealth  in  itself  is  proof  of  evil-doing.  Such 
a  view  overlooks  the  enormous  importance  of  organization  as  a 
means  of  accomplishment,  and  also  the  inestimable  value  of 
good  judgment  and  administrative  abihty  in  all  types  of  social 
work. 

In  mihtary  affairs  it  i*s  readily  conceded  that  a  military 
genius  hke  Napoleon  or  Field  Marshal  Foch  may  contribute 
more  toward  the  winning  of  a  great  battle  or  of  a  war  than 


The  Value  and  Use  op  Wealth  67 

hundreds  of  thousands  or  even  millions  of  individual  men  who 
serve  as  the  units  of  battle.  The  same  fact  is  equally  true  in 
business  administration.  A  very  large  percentage  of  waste  in 
business  comes  from  lack  of  organization,  and  a  business  leader 
who  knows  how  to  organize  a  business  employing  many  thou- 
sands of  men,  so  that  the  waste  of  energy  is  reduced  to  the 
minimum  and  each  man's  strength  employed  to  the  best  advan- 
tage, may  be  the  means  of  producing  more  wealth  than 
thousands  of  individuals  whose  work  is  merely  routine.  It 
frequently  is  true  that,  under  the  modern  methods  of  business 
organization,  the  difference  between  a  highly  profitable  business 
and  a  bankrupt  business  is  entirely  dependent  upon  the  manag- 
ing skill  of  an  individual.  Therefore,  it  is  entirely  impossible 
to  place  any  limit  upon  the  amount  of  wealth  that  may  really 
be  produced  by  any  individual.  It  may  well  run  high  into  the 
milhons. 

Doubtless  the  economic  welfare  of  a  community  should 
be  measured  by  the  standard  of  Hving  of  the  masses  rather 
than  by  the  wealth  of  the  few.  And  here  thrift  becomes  vital. 
It  is  an  undeniable  fact  that  the  result  of  the  sudden  great 
increase  during  the  World  War  in  the  wages  of  many  workers 
was  not  a  real  improvement  in  their  standards  of  living  but 
instead,  the  added  wealth  developed  a  carelessness  and  lazi- 
ness in  their  work  which  lessened  greatly  their  efficiency,  and 
it  encouraged  an  extravagance  in  their  expenditures  which 
weakened  instead  of  strengthened  their  moral  fiber.  The 
same  effects  were  traceable  among  the  rich. 

The  development  of  thrift  among  all  classes  is  absolutely 
essential  if  increased  wealth  is  to  produce  good  rather  than 
evil  results.  Concentration  in  business  organization  on  a 
large  scale  is  necessary  to  insure  the  best  and  cheapest  produc- 
tion which  is  the  needed  prehminary  to  the  highest  social 
welfare.  This  large  concentration  can  be  brought  about  only 
by  the  organized  use  of  wealth  in  the  hands  of  a  relatively 
few  men,  or  better,  by  the  concentration  of  the  smaller 
holdings  of  wealth  from  the  savings  of  the  many  invested  in 
great  corporations  or  in  co-operative  enterprises. 

In  proportion  to  the  productivity  and  thrift  of  each,  men 
acquire  not  only  wealth  but  the  power  to  gain  more  wealth 
and  influence  and  in  consequence  to  improve  living  conditions. 
"To  him  who  has  shall  be  given."    If  men  are  not  diligent  and 


68  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

thrifty,  wealth  in  their  hands  does  not  aid  their  fellows  but 
often  injures  society.  It  is  thus  seen  that  the  problems  of 
wealth  are  primarily  moral,  and  the  penetrating  insight  of 
Jesus  into  these  problems  touches  the  very  heart  of  the  social 
and  economic  questions  of  the  day.  Ambitious  and  sympathe- 
tic reformers  need  Jesus'  calm  observance  of  facts  regarding  the 
use  of  money  and  time,  as  well  as  his  sympathy  and  kindly 
spirit. 

To  fix  the  limit  of  profits  solely  on  moral  grounds  with 
only  the  public  good  in  view  is  hard,  probably  impossible.  Much 
depends  upon  the  use  made  of  the  surplus.  If  it  is  given  largely 
to  the  employers,  most  of  it  will  be  reinvested  in  business  and 
will  tend  to  increase  the  demand  for  labor  with  higher  wages, 
and  by  increasing  the  supply  of  goods  to  reduce  prices  and  the 
cost  of  living.  If  given  to  thrifty  workmen,  the  result  will  be 
quite  similar;  if  to  spendthrifts,  either  employers  or  work- 
men, much  of  it  will  be  wasted.  If  it  is  wasted  in  ways  that 
are  injurious  to  individuals  or  to  society,  as  in  debauchery, 
by  drink  or  lewd  Hving,  positive  damage  worse  than  waste 
results.  If  the  pubhc  service  rendered  by  a  business  is  great 
and  worth  its  cost  to  the  consumer,  it  may  well  be  that  society 
will  be  most  benefited  by  large  profits  so  reinvested  as  to 
extend  the  service  as  rapidly  as  possible.  This  might  well  be 
better  for  the  public  than  an  abnormal  increase  in  wages  and 
salaries  which  would  tend  to  demoralize  other  industries  not 
in  a  position  to  follow,  or  than  a  reduction  in  price  to  the  public 
which  would  check  the  rapid  development  of  the  business. 
Of  course,  the  welfare  of  the  mass  of  the  community  is  the 
goal;  the  means  to  attain  this  are  multiform  and  complex. 


What  reasons,  if  any,  are  there  for  thinking  that  waste  is  less 
characteristic  of  the  wealthy  than  of  the  poor?  Why  cannot 
ten  men  working  separately,  with  one  thousand  dollars  of 
capital  each,  produce  ordinarily  as  much  in  business  as  one 
man  with  ten  thousand  dollars  capital?  Try  to  prove  whether 
or  how  or  why  it  is  harmful  for  the  United  States  that  eighty- 
five  per  cent  of  the  wealth  is  h-eld  by  approximately  fifteen  per 
cent  of  its  population.  From  the  value  to  society,  what  limit, 
if  any,  should  be  fixed  to  the  amount  of  wealth  that  should  be 
held  by  one  individual?    Or  by  any  group  of  individuals?    To 


The  Value  and  Use  op  Wealth  69 

what  extent  would  it  be  better  and  to  what  extent  would  it  be 
possible  to  give  to  manual  workers  a  larger  wage  in  order 
that  they  might  contribute  more  to  public  enterprises?  How 
can  this  change  be  brought  about  except  through  the  increased 
productivity  and  thrift  of  the  wage-earners? 

IV. 

The  Trusteeship  of  Wealth. 

It  has  become  a  commonplace  of  the  later  days  that  a 
wealthy  man  is  a  "trustee"  of  his  wealth,  which  is  to  be  used 
in  the  end  for  the  benefit  of  the  community.  This  principle 
clearly  represents  the  Christian  point  of  view.  Even  among 
the  early  Hebrews  it  is  evident  that  this  idea  was  the  basis  of 
their  economic  institutions.  The  oldest  son  became  the  head 
of  the  ancient  family  because  the  responsibility  rested  upon 
him  of  using  his  wealth  for  the  benefit  of  the  entire  family  or 
clan.  As  Jesus  in  his  Hfe  and  teachings  expanded  the  idea  of  a 
family  so  as  to  include  humanity  as  a  whole,  so  this  conception 
of  the  trusteeship  of  wealth  for  the  benefit  of  an  individual 
family  is  extended  in  the  spirit  of  Jesus  to  the  idea  of  a  trustee- 
ship for  the  benefit  of  the  community. 

We  see  some  of  the  modern  problems  touched  upon 
indirectly  by  Jesus  in  certain  of  his  teachings.  In  the  parable 
of  the  master  of  the  vineyard  who,  hiring  men  from  the  morning 
until  near  the  close  of  day,  sent  them  each  into  his  vineyard 
to  work,  but  at  the  close  of  the  day  paid  them  all  the  same 
amount  regardless  of  the  hours  they  had  labored,  we  see  two 
ideas  that  are  apparently  applicable  at  the  present  time.  In 
the  first  place,  it  is  asserted  with  vigor  and  emphasis  that  the 
employer  must  assume  the  responsibility  of  controlling  his 
own  business.  In  the  second  place  it  plainly  teaches  that  the 
employer  and  the  community  must  keep  in  mind  the  respon- 
sibility of  providing  labor  for  those  wiUing  to  work.  The  vine- 
yard owner  in  the  parable  was  not  concerned  solely  about 
securing  laborers.  When  able-bodied  men  were  standing  idle 
simply,  as  they  asserted,  because  they  had  no  work,  he  took 
them  into  his  employ.  In  giving  those  who  had  worked  only 
an  hour  a  wage  equal  to  that  of  the  regular  laborers,  he  seemed 
to  recognize  the  fact  that  a  certain  amount  was  necessary  for 
the  comfort  of  each  individual,  and  that  even  though  certain 


70  Jesus'  Pbinciples  op  Living 

men's  labor  had  not  been  so  productive  as  others',  it  was  wise 
and  just  to  give  them  enough  to  satisfy  their  pressing  needs. 
Into  the  economic  problem  he  also  injected  that  brotherly  love 
without  which  no  difficult  industrial  question  can  ever  be  justly 
and  satisfactorily  settled.  It  may  be  questioned  how  far  the 
principle  of  the  minimum  wage  was  in  the  mind  of  Jesus,  yet 
there  is  at  least  a  strong  implication  that  the  idea  of  a  living 
wage  was  present.  However  this  may  be,  the  thought  of  the 
trusteeship  of  wealth,  and  its  wise  use  under  all  social  conditions, 
runs  throughout  his  teachings,  for  he  viewed  all  industrial 
problems  equally  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  employer  and 
the  employee,  and  aimed  to  influence  each  to  guard  the  other's 
interests  as  they  did  their  own. 

Jesus  condemned  so  vigorously  the  hypocrisy  of  the  Phari- 
sees who  made  long  prayers  but  devoured  widow's  houses,  and 
his  sense  of  reahty  and  the  fitness  of  things  was  so  keen  while 
his  sympathy  with  the  poor  and  suffering  was  so  deep,  that  he 
doubtless  intended  to  emphasize  the  obligation  of  the  rich  to 
use  their  wealth  so  far  as  was  possible  in  caring  for  the  ills  and 
wants  of  the  worthy  poor.  Indeed  it  seems  to-day  as  if  this 
were  almost  the  sole  dependable  source  of  some  of  our  greatest 
benefactions  for  education,  scientific  research  and  discovery, 
medical  and  sanitary  rehef  on  a  world-wide  scale. 

Why  is  a  wealthy  man  still  under  moral  obligation  to 
contribute  to  charity  even  if  he  pays  taxes  to  support  the  poor? 
In  what  sense  do  you  interpret  Jesus'  teaching,  "It  is  more 
blessed  to  give  than  to  receive"?  Explain  why  an  able  business 
man  probably  benefits  the  community  more  by  employing  the 
bulk  of  his  wealth  in  business  than  by  giving  it  away.  How  far 
is  the  demand  that  laborers  shall  receive  just  wages  met  by 
paying  them  in  proportion  to  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the 
services  they  render  as  shown  by  their  productivity?  What 
limits  should  be  placed  upon  this  principle? 

V. 

Practical  Christian  Charity. 
It  is  evident  that   Jesus   measured    the    true  value  of 
wealth  to  the  individual  primarily  by  the  spirit  and  pur- 
pose of  the  owner.     In  the  incident  of  the  contributions  to 


The  Value  and  Use  op  Wealth  71 

the  temple  treasury,  when  many  rich  men  were  ^ving  a 
large  amount  of  money  and  a  poor  widow  came  and 
dropped  in  two  small  coins  amounting  to  less  than  a  penny, 
he  assured  his  disciples  that  this  poor  woman  had  given  more 
than  all  the  rest  who  had  put  their  money  into  the  treasury. 
It  was  because  they  had  contributed  out  of  their  surplus  but 
she  out  of  her  poverty  had  contributed  all  that  she  owned,  her 
very  means  of  subsistence.  She  had  thus  given  with  sacrifice 
out  of  spiritual  passion,  in  the  spirit  of  true  charity;  she  had 
strikingly  exemplified  from  the  viewpoint  of  the  individual  one 
use  that  should  be  made  of  wealth,  however  large  or  small  the 
amount. 

The  same  idea  is  brought  out  in  his  injunction  that  we 
should  not  lay  up  our  treasures  on  earth  where  moth  and  rust 
may  corrupt  and  where  thieves  may  break  through  and  steal, 
but  rather  should  lay  up  our  treasures  in  heaven.  This  teaching 
penetrates  deeply  into  the  heart  of  things;  it  represents  the 
judgment  of  individuals  by  their  motives,  which  as  we  have 
seen  is  the  only  true  basis  of  judgment  of  the  individual. 

Another  point  of  view,  however,  of  a  very  practical  nature, 
showing  his  keenness  of  insight  into  the  ways  in  which  business 
is  often  conducted,  is  found  in  the  parable  of  the  steward  of  the 
rich  man  who  had  been  accused  of  faithlessness  in  his  steward- 
ship. When  called  to  account,  he  settled  with  his  debtors  by 
reheving  them  of  most  of  their  obligations,  in  order  that  he 
might  thus  win  their  friendship  even  though  at  the  expense  of 
his  master.  The  master,  however,  recognized  the  shrewdness 
of  his  unfaithful  steward  and  commended  his  sagacity.  Jesus 
turned  the  illustration  to  good  account  by  sa3dng  that  men 
should  make  friends  for  themselves  by  so  using  the  wealth  of 
this  world  that  when  it  fails  they  may  secure  entrance  and  a 
welcome  into  their  eternal  home.  Here  again  Jesus  is  calling 
attention  not  to  the  steward's  crooked  deahng,  but  to  his 
foresight  and  to  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  way  in  which  Christian 
charity  should  be  administered,  if  the  individual  himself  is  to 
reap  the  benefit  of  his  generosity. 

There  has  often  been  ironical  criticism  of  the  practical 
work  of  our  charity  organization  societies  and  of  persons  who 
attempt  to  protect  themselves  against  fraud  by  a  careful 
inquiry  into  the  character  and  needs  of  beggars  and  others 
soliciting  aid.    It  has  often  been  assumed  that  this  is  contrary 


72  Jesus^  Principles  of  Living 

to  the  spirit  of  Jesus'  teachings,  inasmuch  as  he  said,  "Give 
to  him  who  asks  of  you/'  when  in  the  sermon  on  the  mount 
he  was  urging  men  to  conquer  their  evil  desires  and  weaknesses 
and  to  attain  self-control  and  the  spirit  of  public  service.  There 
is,  however,  nothing  in  the  spirit  of  Jesus'  teachings  that  sug- 
gests such  a  condemnation  of  common  sense  in  the  dispensing 
of  charity.  To  pauperize  or  to  encourage  deceit  in  one's 
fellow  men  is  not  a  worthy  gift  either  to  them  or  to  society. 
Throughout  Jesus'  life  he  seems  to  have  been  the  embodiment 
of  justice  and  common  sense,  and  nowhere  in  literature  can  we 
find  more  bitter  condemnation  of  hypocrisy  and  deceit  than 
in  the  words  of  Jesus.  Indeed  his  approval  of  the  spirit  of 
truth  and  his  abhorrence  of  lying  is  basic  in  his  character  and 
in  his  life,  and  may  always  be  assumed  where  not  specifically 
expressed  in  his  teachings. 

What  are  the  leading  features  of  a  minimum  wage  law? 
Why  is  it  not  kind  to  the  individual  nor  beneficial  to  the  com- 
munity to  give  alms  to  a  fraudulent  beggar?  Explain  the 
difference  in  the  results  upon  society  if  Mr.  Carnegie,  instead 
of  having  given  largely  to  the  pubhc  hbraries  and  to  funds 
for  scientific  research,  had  devoted  his  wealth  to  reducing 
the  cost  of  all  household  commodities  manufactured  from 
steel?  How  could  he,  as  a  practical  matter,  have  so  reduced 
prices  of  household  commocfities? 

VI. 

Control  of  Wealth  by  the  State. 
Much  has  been  said  by  certain  writers  of  the  attitude  that 
Jesus  would  probably  have  taken  toward  the  doctrines  of 
communism,  anarchism,  and  sociahsm.  For  this  discussion, 
communism  means  the  ownership  of  wealth  in  common  by  the 
whole  community;  anarchism  means  the  absence  of  govern- 
mental control,  and  the  administration  of  affairs,  including 
government  and  business,  by  voluntary  groups  of  individuals; 
socialism  means  the  ownership  and  management  of  capital  in 
every  community  by  society  acting  through  the  organized 
government.  Of  course,  the  form  of  political  organization 
must  vary  with  the  type  of  civilization  and  the  needs  of  the 
time,  and  no  form  is  therefore  to  be  considered  final  or  ideal. 
The  essential  thing  is  that  the  citizens  possess  the  spirit  of 


The  Value  and  Use  op  Wealth  73 

Jesus'  teachings.  In  our  days  and  with  our  civihzation  a  real 
democracy  seems  to  fit  best  his  teachings. 

As  we  have  seen,  Jesus  was  a  strong  individuaUst,  beheving 
perhaps  as  much  if  not  more  than  any  other  of  the  great  teachers 
that  society  is  an  organization  of  independent  thinking  and 
acting  individuals.  There  is  nothing  in  his  teachings  to  con- 
tradict the  view  of  Aristotle  regarding  private  property.  Aris- 
totle beheved  that  the  individual  would  have  little  interest  in 
wealth  that  he  did  not  own,  and  that,  considering  human  nature 
as  it  is,  the  principle  of  private  property  is  a  practical  incentive 
to  proper  activity  and  vigor  in  the  production  and  administra- 
tion of  wealth. 

Jesus  doubtless  recognized  this  fundamental  fact;  but  he 
added  to  the  individuaUstic  spirit  of  the  ancient  wise  men  the 
thought  that  the  individual  should  possess  public  spirit.  While 
he  should  devote  himself  and  his  wealth  to  the  good  of  others, 
this  act  should  be  voluntary.  To  secure  the  greatest  advantage 
for  himself  and  for  society,  the  pubHc  use  of  his  wealth  should 
be  on  his  own  initiative  and  not  under  the  compulsion  of  the 
government  or  of  other  individuals.  Jesus  clearly  recognized 
the  fact,  as  do  the  best  thinkers  of  to-day,  that  there  is  no  moral 
value  to  the  individual  in  acts  done  contrary  to  his  will  under 
the  compulsion  of  others,  including  the  state,  since  human 
motive  is  the  determining  element  in  character.  The  individual 
must  determine  his  charity  and  must  decide  the  nature  and  the 
amount  of  public  service  that  he  will  render  if  he  is  to  get  the 
greatest  benefit.  When  all  or  a  large  part  of  the  individuals 
in  a  country  devote  themselves  to  the  public  service,  we  have 
a  state  approaching  the  highest  ideal. 

This  statement  in  no  sense  implies  that  individuals  should 
not  be  put  under  the  control  of  government.  Indeed  under 
present  conditions,  with  large  accumulations  of  wealth  admin- 
istered by  relatively  few  people  and  these  often  selfish,  it  becomes 
essential  that  they  should  be  put  under  some  measure  of  control. 
Doubtless,  not  merely  the  teachings  of  Jesus  but  the  experience 
of  history  from  his  time  to  the  present,  show  that  the  best 
work  and  the  most  successful  administration  of  both  govern- 
ment and  the  organizations  for  the  production  of  wealth,  can 
be  secured  through  the  stimulus  of  individual  initiative  and 
the  making  of  decisions  by  individuals.  We  may  repeat, 
nevertheless,  that  those  individuals  and  their  decisions  may 


74  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

well  be  under  a  measure  of  control.  The  control  emphasized 
by  Jesus  is  the  control  of  the  will  of  God  or  the  direction  of 
a  man's  acts  by  an  educated  conscience.  There  is  nothing, 
however,  in  his  teachings  to  imply  that  there  should  not  also 
be  the  control  of  law  and  of  the  government.  Indeed  there 
is  the  strongest  impUcation  that  individuals  should  submit 
themselves  to  the  law  and  that,  as  Paul  later  stated,  each 
individual  should  be  subject  to  the  higher  powers  of  the  state 
and  of  the  government.  Each  individual  should,  for  his  own 
sake  as  well  as  for  that  of  the  state,  wilhngly  put  himself 
under  this  control  and  thus  direct  his  affairs  in  harmony  with 
others  for  the  pubHc  good. 

In  the  administratibn  of  public  charity,  why  would  you 
prefer  voluntary  to  paid  workers,  or  how  would  you  arrange 
work  for  both?  Why  do  more  cities  own  and  manage  their 
water  works  than  their  street  railroads  or  their  electric  lighting 
plants?  What  does  the  parable  of  the  talents  suggest 
regarding  Jesus'  attitude  toward  the  private  ownership  of 
wealth? 

Subjects  for  Further  Study. 

(1)  Look  up  carefully  the  work  of  the  Rockefeller  Endowment  for 
Medical  Research  and  that  of  the  Carnegie  Institute  for  Scientific  Research 
at  Washington  and  decide  whether  private  endowments  or  government 
appropriations  prove  more  effective  in  such  work.  Give  full  reasons  for 
your  opinion. 

(2)  Distinguish  carefully  between  socialism  and  social  reform,  between 
anarchism  and  nihilism,  between  syndicalism  and  trade  unionism. 

(3)  What  would  be  the  effect  upon  business  and  the  welfare  of  society 
if  all  our  wealthy  citizens  gave  all  their  income  above  their  necessary 
living  expenses  to  pubUc  charities? 

(4)  Discuss  the  plan  by  which  John  Leitch  in  his  "Man-to-Man" 
pr^oses  to  apply  the  Golden  Rule  to  modern  industry. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

RECREATION  AND  THE  CHRISTIAN  USE  OF   THE 

SABBATH. 

Parallel  Readings. 
Kent,  The  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,  pp.  212-219. 
Edwards,  Popular  Amusements. 
Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  217-247. 
Follett,  The  New  State,  pp.  189-203. 


Recreation  and  the  Christian  Use  of  the  Sabbath  73 

Once  when  John's  disciples  and  the  Pharisees  were  observing  a  fast, 
people  came  to  Jesus  and  said,  "Why  do  the  disciples  of  John  and  the 
disciples  of  the  Pharisees  fast,  but  your  disciples  not  fast."  Jesus  said  to 
them,  "Can  guests  fast  at  a  wedding  while  the  bridegroom  is  with  them? 
As  long  as  they  have  the  bridegroom  with  them  they  cannot  fast.  But 
the  time  will  come  when  the  bridegroom  is  taken  away  from  them;  then 
they  will  fast.  No  one  sews  a  piece  of  unshrunken  cloth  on  an  old  coat; 
otherwise  the  patch  breaks  away  from  it,  the  new  from  the  old,  and  the 
tear  is  made  worse.  No  man  pours  new  wine  into  old  wine-skins;  otherwise 
the  new  wine  bursts  the  skins,  and  both  the  wine  and  the  wine-skins  are 
lost.    Instead  new  wine  is  poured  into  fresh  wine-skins."     Mark  2: 18-22. 

"To  what  shall  I  compare  this  generation?  It  is  hke  children  sitting  in 
the  market-place,  who  call  to  their  playmates  and  say: 

'  We  played  the  pipes  for  you  but  you  would  not  dance, 

We  cried  but  you  would  not  lament.' 
For  John  came  neither  eating  nor  drinking,  and  men  said,  'He  is  possessed 
by  an  evil  spirit ! '    The  Son  of  Man  came  eating  and  drinking,  and  men 
say,  'He  is  a  glutton  and  a  drunkard,  a  friend  of  tax-gatherers  and  out- 
casts!'   But  Wisdom  is  vindicated  by  its  works."      MaU.  11:  16-19. 

One  Sabbath  Jesus  was  passing  through  the  grain  fields;  and  his 
disciples,  as  they  made  their  way  through,  began  to  pull  off  the  heads  of 
the  grain.  The  Pharisees  said  to  him,  "Sir,  why  are  they  doing  things 
that  on  the  Sabbath  are  unlawful."  He  said  to  them,  "Have  you  never 
read  what  David  did  when  he  and  his  followers  were  in  need  and  hungry, 
how  he  went  into  the  house  of  God,  when  Abiathar  was  high  priest,  and 
ate  the  consecrated  bread  which  only  the  priests  are  allowed  to  eat,  and 
gave  it  also  to  those  with  him?"  And  he  said  to  him,  "The  Sabbath  was 
made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the  Sabbath;  so  that  the  Son  of  Man  is 
master  even  of  the  Sabbath."    Mark  2:  23-28.    (Shorter  Bible  translation.) 


Jesus'  Appreciation  of  Recreation. 
The  early  Mark  narrative  makes  it  perfectly  clear  that 
Jesus  appreciated  and  enjoyed  all  wholesome  forms  of  recrea- 
tion. His  life  with  his  disciples  illustrates  this  fact.  One  of  the 
chief  charges  that  the  long-faced  Pharisees  brought  against 
him  was  that  his  disciples  never  fasted  as  did  the  followers  of 
John  the  Baptist.  In  reply  to  the  charge,  Jesus  admitted  its 
truth  and  explained  the  reason.  The  figure  of  a  marriage  feast, 
by  which  he  described  his  life  with  his  followers,  represented  the 
highest  form  of  social  joy  and  recreation  known  to  the  world 
of  his  day.  It  was  the  one  week  in  the  Hfe  of  the  bride  and 
groom  when  they  were  relieved  of  the  ordinary  cares  and  drudg- 
ery and  when  they  and  their  guests  were  free  to  give  themselves 
up  wholly  to  feasting  and  to  the  simple  sports  that  enlivened 
the  grim  monotony  of  their  rather  sordid  existence.    Singing, 


76  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

dancing,  feasting  and  simple  dramatic  representation  character- 
ized these  oriental  wedding  feasts  in  which  all  members  of  the 
community  shared.  In  face  of  the  surprise  and  contemptuous 
disapproval  of  the  Pharisees,  Jesus  freely  accepted  many  invita- 
tions to  banquets  which  were  showered  upon  him.  The  indica- 
tions are  clear  that  he  was  a  welcomed  guest  on  such  occasions. 
Some  of  his  most  significant  work  was  done  as  he  participated 
in  the  festivities  of  a  banquet.  That  sparkhng  yet  kindly 
humor  which  bubbles  forth  so  often  in  his  recorded  teachings 
must  have  enriched  and  enlivened  these  feasts  where  men  forgot 
for  the  moment  their  hot  pursuit  of  wealth  and  personal  ambi- 
tions and  played  whole-heartedly  with  their  fellows. 

Feasts  and  banquets  figure  prominently  in  the  short  stories 
or  parables  that  Jesus  told  to  illustrate  his  teachings.  Even 
the  touching  story  of  the  prodigal  ends  with  a  great  feast. 
In  his  friendships,  in  his  work,  in  his  recreation  Jesus  found 
genuine  joy  and  happiness,  and  was  eager  that  his  fellows 
should  do  the  same.  His  reference  to  the  game  played  by  the 
children  on  the  streets  indicates  that  he  was  familiar  with  it 
and  suggests  that  as  a  boy  he  was  fond  of  the  sports  with  which 
the  children  reheved  the  tedium  of  the  monotonous  life  at 
Nazareth. 

One  of  the  reasons  why  children  came  rushing  to  his  arms 
was  probably  because  they  recognized  that  he  sympathized 
with  them  in  their  love  of  play.  Not  until  dogmatism  and 
asceticism  in  the  fourth  and  following  centuries  laid  their 
chilling  hands  on  Christianity  did  it  lose  the  spontaneity  which 
characterized  it  as  it  came  fresh  from  the  stamp  of  Jesus'  own 
personality. 

How  many  references  to  banquets  or  feasts  are  there  in 
the  Gospels?  What  did  Jesus  mean  by  refusing  to  put  new 
wine  in  old  wine-skins?  What  examples  of  humor  are  there  in 
Jesus'  recorded  teachings? 

,  n. 

The  Psychological  Basis  of  Recreation. 
In  giving  recreation  a  large  place  in  the  beloved  community 
that  Jesus  estabUshed  in  the  Greater  Capernaum,  he  built 
squarely  on  the  foundation  laid  in  human  nature  by  God 


Recreation  and  the  Christian  Use  of  the  Sabbath  77 

himself.  Man  cannot  live  by  work  alone.  His  body  and  mind 
require  relaxation  and  re-creation  if  they  are  to  continue  to  do 
their  part  effectively.  The  more  strenuous  the  task  and  the 
more  advanced  the  civilization,  the  more  imperative  the  need 
for  periods  of  relaxation. 

Modem  psychology  teaches  us  that  recreation  means 
release  from  tension  and  the  reversion  to  instinctive  forms  of 
activity  to  which  we  and  our  ancestors  for  countless  ages  have 
been  accustomed.  It  is  recreative  chiefly  because  it  means 
temporary  release  from  the  kiUing  pace  which  our  strenuous 
civiHzation  sets  for  us  and  the  doing  of  those  things  which  are 
pleasurable,  largely  because  they  are  natural  and  familiar; 
they  therefore  call  for  little  or  no  mental  effort.  Thus  the 
business  or  professional  man,  compelled  by  his  occupation  to 
sit  upright  in  stiff  chairs  and  to  use  his  brain  almost  incessantly 
at  the  expense  of  his  body,  finds  keen  delight  and  perfect 
recreation  in  a  game  of  golf,  for  it  enables  him  suddenly  and 
completely  to  shake  off  all  these  chafing  restrictions  and  revert 
to  his  primitive  instincts.  Like  a  boy  he  swings  a  club  and 
scrambles  up  and  down  hills  and  through  woods  and  ravines  in 
pursuit  of  a  small  object  at  which  he  frequently  hits  sometimes 
with  great  vigor  and  sometimes  with  gently  measured  taps, 
as  did  his  ancestors  countless  centuries  ago. 

Recreation  with  many  still  consists  in  eating.  Nothing 
delights  and  recreates  them  more  than  to  smell  the  reek  of  the 
roasting  meat  and  to  satisfy  to  the  full  their  voracious  appetites 
as  did  their  forbears  in  the  old  stone  age.  Others  find  their 
chief  recreation  in  gratifying  the  lower  animal  passions  even 
though  at  infinite  peril  and  loss  to  themselves  and  society. 

We  have  succeeded  fairly  well  in  the  era  just  past  in 
teaching  people  how  to  think  and  work  effectively,  but  we 
have  not  taught  the  great  majority  how  to  play.  It  is  not  in 
doing  our  tasks  but  in  our  hours  of  recreation  that  we  as  a 
people  fall  below  our  accepted  moral  standards.  It  is  in  the 
use  of  their  leisure  time,  in  their  recreations,  that  many  —  both 
young  and  old  —  barter  their  spiritual  birthright  for  a  pitiable 
mess  of  pottage.  The  physical  and  moral  wreckage  that  lies 
in  the  wake  of  the  public  dance  hall,  the  popular  amusement 
places,  and  the  low  theatre  is  appalling.  One  of  the  chief 
problems  of  the  twentieth  centm-y  is  to  provide  clean,  even 
beneficial,  types  and  places  of  amusement  and  to  teach  young 


78  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

and  old  how  to  play  and  to  find  real  recreation  that  will  not 
cost  them  their  most  valuable  possessions. 

What  forms  of  recreation  appeal  to  you  as  the  most  attrac- 
tive? As  the  most  rewarding?  What  forms  are  most  popular 
among  the  young  people  of  your  community?  How  does  the 
element  of  competition  contribute  to  recreation?  Why  are 
the  social  forms  of  recreation  as  a  rule  better  than  the  more 
individualistic?  Why  are  many  sports  Hke  base  ball  and  boat 
racing  accompanied  by  gambling  on  the  part  of  many? 


III. 

The  Attitude  op  the  Church  toward  Play  and  Recreation. 

The  strength  of  the  early  Hebrew  religion  was  that,  like 
Jesus,  it  frankly  recognized  the  need  which  each  individual 
felt  for  recreation,  and  provided  for  it.  Moses  demanded  of  the 
autocratic  Pharaoh:  ^'Let  my  people  go,  that  they  may  keep  a 
feast  with  dancing  to  me  in  the  desert."  This  was  the  surprising 
demand  about  which  centered  the  titanic  struggle  that  resulted 
in  the  birth  of  the  Hebrew  nation.  Throughout  all  this  early 
history  the  three  annual  festivals  of  the  Hebrews  were  occa- 
sions at  which  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor,  took  food  and 
drink  and  amidst  music  and  song  and  glad  rejoicing  feasted 
at  their  sanctuaries,  and  with  the  consciousness  of  Jehovah's 
approval  found  recreation  of  body,  mind,  and  soul.^  These 
annual  festivals  were  the  most  joyous  events  in  their  lives. 
Attendance  upon  them  was  not  a  burden  but  their  supreme 
joy.  The  same  happy  spirit  rings  through  the  Hturgical 
psalms  of  the  Psalter.  From  the  first,  religion  and  recreation 
were  closely  wedded,  and  whenever  they  are  separated  both 
suffer. 

The  life  of  the  early  Christian  communities  was  equally 
joyous.  Even  the  evening  supper  which  they  celebrated 
together  in  remembrance  of  the  days  when  Jesus  was  with 
them  in  the  body  was  often  so  hilarious  that  certain  of  the 
Church  Fathers  were  shocked.  It  was  not  until  the  alien 
motive  of  asceticism  and  monasticism  during  the  third  and 
following  centuries  transformed  its  life  that  Christianity  lost 
its  joyousness.    Most  of  the  popular  forms  of  amusement  and 


Recreation  and  the  Christian  Use  of"the  Sabbath  79 

recreation  were  abandoned  by  the  church,  and  the  Puritans  in 
their  zeal  to  stress  the  ethical  principles  of  Christianity  com- 
pleted the  divorce  between  religion  and  recreation.  Banished 
from  the  church,  many  forms  of  amusement  lost  their  fine 
recreative  character  and  in  part  merited  the  condemnations 
that  were  uttered  against  them  by  the  religious  leaders.  Even 
music  was  excluded  from  certain  Protestant  churches,  and  the 
people  were  given  only  a  small  part  in  the  ritual.  Religion  was 
presented  as  a  stem  duty  rather  than  a  joyous  privilege,  with 
the  deplorable  but  inevitable  result  that  a  majority  of  the 
young  people,  forced  to  look  elsewhere  for  their  recreation, 
aside  from  their  helpful  athletic  sports,  are  found  too  frequently 
at  the  dance  halls,  low  theatres  and  even  less  desirable  places 
of  popular  amusement  rather  than  in  the  churches.  As  a 
result  of  its  early  mistakes,  the  attitude  of  the  church  toward 
many  forms  of  popular  amusement  is  still  negative  rather  than 
positive  and  constructive.  Thus  modern  organized  Christianity 
has  lost  much  of  that  joyousness  and  appeal  to  the  innate  need 
for  recreation  which  was  one  of  the  chief  charms  of  the  good 
news  that  Jesus  proclaimed  to  the  hungering  and  lost  of  his  day. 

How  far  do  you  approve  of  the  remark  of  a  Congregational 
deacon  who  said  he  voted  to  introduce  dancing  in  the  parish 
house  of  his  church  because,  ^'If  we  do  not  let  our  young 
people  dance  under  Christian  auspices  they  will  dance  in  the 
public  hall  across  the  way,  where  I  know  the  devil  pre- 
sides"? What  practical  efforts  are  different  churches  making 
to  unite  again  religion  and  recreation?  How  far  can  and 
should  the  churches  in  their  public  services  meet  the  craving 
of  each  individual  for  genuine  recreation? 


IV. 

The  Regulation  and  Direction  of  Popular 
Amusements. 
The  regulation  of  popular  amusements  is  undoubtedly  one 
of  the  most  vital  and  insistent  as  well  as  difficult  problems 
before  humanity  to-day.  Detailed  surveys  have  shown  that 
often  as  high  as  ninety  per  cent  of  the  delinquent  girls  arraigned 
before  our  police  courts  took  the  first  plunge  into  vice  in  connec- 


80  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

tion  with  commercialized  amusement  resorts.  The  play 
impulse  is  instinctive,  universal,  and  perfectly  natural,  but  if 
wrongly  directed  it  destroys  the  physical,  mental  and  spiritual 
life  of  the  individual  with  a  rapidity  and  completeness  that  are 
appalUng.  Because  the  desire  for  amusement  is  so  strong  and 
so  universal  and  in  itself  so  normal  and  innocent,  it  offers  a 
powerful  temptation  to  the  unprincipled  exploiter.  Such 
exploitation  is  easy,  largely  because  the  church  and  organized 
society  have  failed  to  recognize  the  validity  of  that  desire  and 
have  left  to  the  most  unprincipled  members  of  society  the  task 
of  satisfying  it.  The  result  is  that  to-day  many  if  not  most  of 
the  popular  forms  of  amusement  are  highly  commercialized 
and  are  managed  simply  with  a  view  to  rolHng  up  the  box-office 
receipts  and  not  to  giving  the  public  wholesome  recreation. 
Not  only  do  these  private  corporations  take  millions  of  dollars 
from  their  patrons,  but  too  often  they  lower  their  ideals  and 
lure  them  on  to  commit  crime  against  society.  As  Jane  Addams 
has  said  on  the  basis  of  her  wide  observation  and  experience: 
^'The  Anglo-Saxon  city  has  turned  over  the  provision  for 
public  recreation  to  the  most  evil-minded  and  the  most  un- 
scrupulous members  of  the  community"  {Spirit  of  Yovih,  p.  7). 
In  certain  social  strata  in  our  congested  city  life  the  popular 
forms  of  amusement  are  crimes.  Experience  too  has  shown  that 
when  sin  and  vice  are  commercialized  they  tend  to  become 
shameless  and  impudent.  In  the  careful  Kansas  City  survey 
of  commerciaHzed  amusements  (which  did  not  include  saloons, 
medical  museums,  social  clubs  and  cabarets),  thirty-two  per 
cent  were  found  to  be  unquestionably  bad  and  only  one  attained 
the  standard  of  eighty-four  per  cent  good. 

Against  those  who  thus  exploit  the  innate  love  of  play 
and  recreation  and  against  those  who  through  neglect  permit 
these  wrongs  to  exist,  Jesus'  words  of  warning  still  apply: 
"It  is  inevitable  that  temptation  should  come,  but  woe  to  the 
man  through  whom  it  comes;  it  would  be  better  for  him  to  be 
flung  into  the  sea  with  a  millstone  about  his  neck  than  that  he 
cause  one  of  these  Uttle  ones  to  fall!" 

The  followers  of  Jesus  are  under  solemn  obligation  to 
fight  courageously,  systematically  and  persistently  all  who 
exploit  those  who  have  little  wisdom  or  little  experience  or  little 
moral  strength.  Scientific  investigation  and  experience  have 
indicated  many  practical  ways  to  help.    As  a  rule  the  exact  facts 


Recreation  and  the  Christian  Use  of  the  Sabbath  81 

can  be  ascertained  only  through  the  systematic  investigations 
of  skilled  experts,  working  quietly  under  the  direction  of  wise 
Christian  citizens.  Repeated  investigations  are  necessary. 
Sensational  publicity  usually  hurts  more  than  it  helps  this 
reform.  In  most  cities  the  results  of  such  investigations  can 
be  used  most  effectively  in  personal  interviews  with  the  managers 
of  the  commercialized  amusements  or  as  a  guide  to  legislative 
and  police  control.  Organized  and  inteUigent  Christian  citizen- 
ship can  in  most  communities  accomplish  much  in  correcting 
the  more  flagrant  evils.  If  a  municipal  license  is  required  for 
each  form  of  commercialized  amusement,  the  public  holds  in  its 
hands  the  power  to  repress  what  is  obnoxious  and  to  raise  the 
standard  of  the  rest.  The  problem  resolves  itself  into  (1)  the 
education  of  public  opinion,  (2)  the  election  of  rehable  officials, 
and  (3)  the  co-operation  of  the  Christian  citizens  to  see  that 
worthy  standards  are  maintained  and  applied. 

In  dealing  with  the  problems  connected  with  the  theatre, 
the  methods  and  practical  co-operation  of  the  Drama  League 
of  America,  the  Catholic  Theatre  Movement,  and  similar 
organizations  are  well  worthy  of  careful  consideration.  Such 
organizations  suggest  lists  of  desirable  plays  or  assist  in  forming 
local  study  courses  and  children's  dramatic  clubs  that  contribute 
directly  toward  educating  public  opinion,  and  they  are  prefer- 
able to  any  official  censorship  which  is  inevitably  personal  and 
often  ignorant.  Experience  is  also  demonstrating  that  the 
evils  of  the  public  dance  hall  can  be  largely  eliminated  if  a 
trained  supervisor,  preferably  some  woman  who  has  had 
practical  experience  as  a  teacher  or  mother,  is  always  present 
and  is  given  authority  and  the  support  of  the  police. 

The  church  too  is  beginning  to  awaken  to  its  obligation 
to  furnish  wholesome  and  attractive  recreation  adapted  to  the 
needs  and  interests  of  different  ages.  The  Boy  Scouts,  the 
Girl  Scouts,  the  Campfire  Girls,  educational  motion  pictures, 
amateur  dramatics,  and  especially  the  presentation  of  Biblical 
subjects,  are  only  a  few  of  the  many  movements  that  are  finding 
hearty  welcome  and  support  in  many  modern  churches.  If 
these  forms  of  popular  amusement  are  made  in  each  case  an 
opportunity  for  the  larger  self-expression  of  youth,  and  the 
leadership  is  placed,  as  far  as  is  practicable,  in  the  hands  of  the 
young  people  themselves,  these  movements  will  go  far  to  counter- 
act the  baneful  influence  of  the  vicious  commercialized  fonns 


82  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

of  amusement  and  to  develop  noble  Christian  manhood  and 
womanhood. 

The  church  can  also  do  much  to  promote  clean  athletics. 
Betting,  gambling,  and  professionalism  can  best  be  combated 
through  frank  and  open  discussion.  They  are  doomed  as  soon 
as  they  are  condemned  by  the  ruHng  public  opinion  in  a  com- 
munity. It  is  even  more  important  to  democratize  athletics, 
so  that  not  a  few  skilled  athletes  but  hundreds  and  thousands 
in  amateur  teams  can  have  the  physical  and  moral  inspiration 
of  regular  and  active  participation  in  wholesome  sports. 

What  are  the  aims  of  the  Drama  League  of  America? 
What  are  the  educational  and  recreational  values  and  the 
dangers  in  the  modern  motion  picture  exhibitions?  Why  is 
gambling  a  pernicious  form  of  amusement?  How  can  our 
public  parks  be  fm-ther  utiUzed  so  as  to  meet  the  demand  for 
popular  amusement? 


Jesus*  Interpretation  of  the  Sabbath. 

There  is  no  evidence  that  Jesus  ever  brought  a  sacrifice  to 
the  temple  or  followed  the  minute  directions  of  the  Jewish 
ceremonial  law;  on  the  other  hand  he  raised  no  protest  against 
any  ceremonial  form  that  was  of  value  to  his  fellow  men.  When, 
however,  an  institution  became  a  hindrance  rather  than  an  aid 
to  man's  development,  he  refused  to  let  his  followers  be  bound 
by  it.  His  protest  usually  first  found  expression  through  his 
quiet  refusal  to  observe  it  rather  than  through  public  utterance. 
Thus,  for  example,  he  did  not  encourage  his  disciples  to  observe 
the  onerous  Pharisaic  regulations  regarding  ceremonial  ablu- 
tions before  meals.  When  the  Pharisees  charged  him  with 
disregarding  this  law,  he  admitted  the  charge  and  clearly  stated 
his  reason  (Mark  7:  1-16). 

In  the  same  way  and  with  deliberate  purpose  he  broke 
the  heavy  bonds  which  the  Old  Testament  priestly  editors  and 
the  later  scribes  had  laid  upon  the  Sabbath,  but  nowhere  is  it 
recorded  that  he  criticized  those  who  conscientiously  followed 
the  minute  rules  which  the  Pharisees  had  formulated  to  guard 
its  sanctity.  The  extreme  emphasis  on  the  Sabbath  as  an 
institution  was  in  part  the  result  of  the  peculiar  conditions 


Recreation  and  the  Christian  Use  of  the  Sabbath  83 

growing  out  of  the  Babylonian  exile,  which  to  the  Jews  of  the 
dispersion  still  presented  the  vital  problem  of  preserving  their 
racial  unity  and  rehgious  faith  in  the  face  of  overwhelming 
temptations.  Removed  far  from  the  temple,  they  ceased  per- 
force to  observe  the  majority  of  their  ceremonial  rites.  Circum- 
cision and  the  Sabbath  were  practically  the  only  distinctive 
institutions  that  could  be  maintained  apart  from  the  temple. 
Hence  Judaism  clung  to  them  as  a  drowning  man  to  a  plank 
and  made  their  punctilious  observance  the  supreme  test  of 
loyalty  to  their  race  and  to  their  God. 

It  therefore  required  great  courage  on  the  part  of  Jesus  to 
break  with  the  formal  regulations  that  had  gathered  about  the 
Sabbath.  He  did  so  deliberately  and  with  a  lofty  purpose,  but 
by  act  rather  than  word.  As  a  survival  of  ancient  communism, 
Jewish  law  permitted  every  man  to  help  hunself  to  the  grain 
growing  in  the  fields,  provided  he  ate  it  on  the  spot,  but  the 
law  expHcitly  forbade  him  to  do  the  work  involved  in  this  act 
on  the  Sabbath.  Jesus  allowed  his  disciples  to  help  themselves 
to  the  grain  on  the  Sabbath,  because  they  needed  food  and 
because  it  was  the  normal,  reasonable  thing  for  them  to  do. 
He  was  undoubtedly  well  aware  that  this  act  would  at  once 
call  forth  a  protest  from  the  Pharisees,  as  it  did.  He  first 
defended  it,  quite  in  the  spirit  of  the  scribal  teachers  of  his 
day,  by  citing  the  example  of  David  who,  when  he  and  his 
followers  needed  food,  took  and  ate  of  the  showbread  which 
according  to  the  ceremonial  law  was  to  be  eaten  only  by  the 
priests.  Then  having  precipitated  the  whole  issue  between  the 
ceremonial  and  the  vital,  spiritual  interpretation  of  religion, 
he  laid  down  the  only  sound  philosophical  basis  for  the  inter- 
pretation and  observation  of  the  ancient  institution:  "The 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  not  man  for  the  Sabbath." 

This  revolutionary  statement  was  only  a  corollary  of  the 
larger  principle  that  Jesus  repeatedly  set  forth:  Forms  and 
institutions  are  never  ends  in  themselves,  but  valuable  simply 
as  they  promote  man's  development;  only  in  this  way  are  they 
significant  in  the  sight  of  God.  In  the  light  of  this  luminous 
principle  the  minute  Pharisaic  regulations  that  impeded  man's 
free  and  full  development  were  a  crime  against  God  as  well  as 
man.  It  was  inevitable  that  Jesus  should  attack  them,  for 
his  mission  was  to  enable  men  to  know  the  truth  that  the  truth 
might  make  them  free,    Far  from  abrogating  the  institution 


84  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

of  the  Sabbath,  he  interpreted  it,  as  had  the  great  Hebrew 
prophets  before  him,  as  God's  good  gift  to  man  to  be  used  to 
promote  the  physical  and  mental,  as  well  as  the  social  and 
reHgious  welfare  of  each  individual.  It  mattered  little  what 
ancient  priests  and  scribes  had  said  about  it;  the  vital  question 
was,  how  could  it  be  made  to  yield  the  most  to  toiling,  heavily 
laden  men  who  possessed  divine  potentiahties? 

What  were  some  of  the  minute  regulations  which  the  later 
Jewish  lawgivers  had  imposed  on  the  Sabbath?  What  was  their 
motive  in  so  doing?  Why  did  they  fail  to  attain  their  objects? 
What  is  the  difference  between  their  method  and  that  of  Jesus? 


VI. 

The  Effective  Christian  Use  of  the  Sabbath. 

Unfortunately  in  interpreting  the  Sabbath  the  Protestant 
church  in  the  past  has  followed  more  closely  the  teachings  of 
the  ancient  priests  and  Pharisees  than  those  of  Jesus.  He  sought 
to  sweep  away  with  one  stroke  the  prohibitions  which  had 
already  made  it  a  day  of  repression  rather  than  of  joy  and 
re-creation.  Lest  there  should  be  any  misunderstanding,  he 
fortified  his  teaching  by  his  own  example.  The  early  records 
tell  us  that  apparently  on  this  day  he  redoubled  his  acts  of 
mercy  and  healing.  To  the  criticisms  of  the  Pharisees  he 
repUed:  "  Is  it  right  on  the  Sabbath  day  to  do  good  or  to  do 
harm,  to  save  a  life  or  to  kill? "  The  question  is  full  of  sug- 
gestion: their  interpretation  of  the  day  was  doing  harm  and 
killing,  even  as  the  same  interpretation  has  since  that  day  done 
countless  harm  and  killed  the  faith  of  many  in  Christian  homes 
and  communities  where  the  teachings  not  of  Jesus  but  of  the 
Pharisees  have  been  thoroughly  followed. 

With  few  exceptions  the  attitude  of  the  churches  to-day 
toward  the  still  burning  questions  of  how  to  use  this  day  of 
rest  is  negative,  hke  that  of  the  Pharisees,  and  not  positive  Uke 
that  of  Jesus.  Has  not  the  time  come  to  formulate  the  Christian 
ideal  of  the  Sabbath?  That  ideal  must  be  based  squarely  on 
the  needs  and  possibilities  of  man.  Scientific  experimentation 
has  demonstrated  conclusively  that  continuous  work  without 
relaxation  is  wise  neither  from  the  economic  nor  from  the 
physical  point  of  view.    The  experiences  of  the  Great  War, 


Recreation  and  the  Christian  Use  of  the  Sabbath   S5 

especially  in  Great  Britain  where  the  tests  were  scientifically 
made,  prove  this  point  beyond  doubt.  When,  in  order  to 
increase  the  output  of  the  munition  factories,  the  working 
hours  were  made  to  include  seven  days  in  the  week  and  often 
from  fourteen  to  sixteen  hours  a  day,  it  was  found  that  within 
a  very  short  time  the  total  output  of  the  factories  decreased 
instead  of  increased.  A  careful  investigation  by  the  committee 
appointed  to  study  the  conditions  soon  led  to  the  conclusion 
that  from  the  point  of  view  of  output  alone  it  was  essential 
that  men  and  women  work  not  more  than  six  days  continuously. 
In  order  that  the  machinery  might  be  kept  at  its  highest  effi- 
ciency, in  many  cases  the  rest-Sabbath  of  the  munition  factories 
was  a  revolving  one.  The  day  of  the  week  that  was  reserved 
was  immaterial  so  far  as  the  individual  worker  was  concerned, 
but  experience  taught  that  the  principle  of  one  day's  rest  in 
seven  had  to  be  as  carefully  followed  as  that  of  restricting  the 
number  of  working  hours  in  each  day  so  that  abundant  time  for 
sleep  and  recreation  was  furnished.  One  of  the  primary  uses 
of  the  Sabbath,  therefore,  must  ever  be  to  offer  an  opportunity 
for  physical  and  mental  rest  and  recreation  to  all  who  toil. 
(Bulletin,  United  States  Bureau  of  Labor  Statistics,  No.  221, 
"Hours,  Fatigue  and  Health  in  British  Munition  Factories.") 

Experience,  as  well  as  the  great  Interpreter  of  life,  teaches 
that  "man  does  not  live  by  bread  alone.'*  It  is  an  obvious  fact 
that,  even  though  many  do  not  recognize  it,  all  need  moral, 
social  and  spiritual  re-creation.  The  day  of  rest  from  physical 
and  mental  work  is  a  vast  open  door  of  opportunity  through 
which  each  man  may  enter  into  a  larger  life.  It  may  be  through 
meditation,  through  worship,  through  intellectual  inspiration, 
through  service,  through  contact  with  nature,  or  through  the 
many  other  ways  in  which  man  may  enter  into  closer  and  more 
intelligent  and  loving  companionship  and  co-operation  with 
his  fellow  man  and  the  Source  of  all  life  and  love.  Fortunately 
there  are  as  many  ways  as  there  are  individuals.  We  may 
guide  but  not  compel  our  fellow  men  to  take  one  or  the  other 
of  these  ways.  The  Gospel  narratives  indicate  that  Jesus  on 
the  Sabbath  sometimes  took  his  disciples  into  the  synagogue, 
sometimes  into  active  social  service  among  the  poor  and  needy, 
and  sometimes,  even  in  the  face  of  the  protests  of  the  rehgious 
authorities  of  the  day,  out  into  the  fields  where  they  were  left 
free  to  follow  their  normal  inclinations.    Where  he  went  and 


86  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

found  joy  and  recreation,  they  went  too.  In  developing  the 
higher  uses  of  the  Sabbath,  he  did  not  give  men  advice;  he 
gave  himself.  It  is  obvious  that  if  parents  and  teachers  are  to 
lead  their  children  in  this  noble  quest,  they  too  must  give  them- 
selves. They  must  also  find  joy  and  happiness  in  it,  for  these 
are  contagious  and  irresistible. 

To  some  of  us  who  were  brought  up  at  the  feet  of  the  Puri- 
tans it  seems  a  crime  to  laugh  and  be  happy  on  the  Sabbath. 
Jesus  taught  that  not  to  do  so  was  the  supreme  crime.  In  the 
light  of  Jesus'  interpretation  of  the  Sabbath  purely  from  the 
point  of  view  of  its  service  to  the  individual,  we  must  evaluate 
anew  each  element  in  the  Sunday  program  of  our  churches. 
Are  the  pews  filled  simply  through  force  of  habit  or  the  com- 
pulsion of  community  conscience,  or  are  they  empty  because 
the  people  who  might  fill  them  do  not  find  m  the  services  the 
re-creation  and  inspiration  they  need?  Is  the  Church  School 
rearing  happy,  efficient  Christian  citizens?  As  the  foundation 
of  the  life  of  the  church  and  community,  are  there  Christian 
homes  which  are  developing  the  rich  possibihties  of  the  Sabbath 
to  the  full?  Does  the  day  of  cessation  from  ordinary  labor 
mean  for  each  class  and  individual  in  the  community  rich 
opportunities  for  recreation  and  growth  improved  in  proportion 
as  each  is  able?  These  are  the  questions  that  must  be  answered 
constructively,  if  we  are  to  have  a  Christian  Sabbath. 

Our  best  modern  psychology  teaches  that  recreation  and 
religion  are  closely  related.  Real  recreation  gives  to  the  individ- 
ual temporary  relaxation  and  happiness  through  experiences 
and  emotions  that  are  passing;  real  rehgion  gives  him  abiding 
peace  and  happiness  through  beliefs,  experiences  and  emotions 
that  reach  out  into  eternity.  But  the  highest  forms  of  recreation, 
such  as  music  or  art  or  constructive  work  or  social  service  merge 
into  religion.  This  close  unity  perhaps  throws  new  light  on  the 
place  of  recreation  in  the  Sabbath  program  —  especially  for  the 
young.  Recreation  is  the  natural  path  leading  on  to  the  higher 
forms  of  activity  and  feeling  that  merge  into  religion.  Viewed 
in  the  light  of  man's  needs  and  of  Jesus'  example  the  Christian 
Sabbath  is  that  which  gives  to  each  individual  not  only  rest 
but  physical,  mental,  social,  and  spiritual  re-creation.  The 
reahzation  of  this  ideal  in  the  home,  the  church,  and  the  com- 
munity is  one  of  the  vital  tasks  which  the  followers  of  the 
great  Teacher  are  called  to-day  to  perform. 


The  Family  and  Beloved  Community  87 

How  large  a  part  and  what  part  of  each  Sabbath  should 
parents  devote  to  their  children?  What  are  the  reasons  urged 
for  the  opening  of  motion  pictures  and  other  popular  amuse- 
ment places  on  Sunday?  How  far  are  these  reasons  sound? 
TVliat  are  the  churches  in  your  community  doing  to  attract 
and  re-create  the  classes  in  harmony  with  Jesus'  teachings 
regarding  the  Sabbath?  How  can  the  masses  be  led  to  seek 
the  higher  forms  of  social  and  spiritual  re-creation? 

Subjects  for  Further  Study. 

(1)  For  what  reason  did  the  Pharisees  charge  Jesus  with  being  a 
drunkard  and  a  glutton? 

(2)  How  would  our  Puritan  forefathers  have  regarded  Jesus'  attitude 
toward  popular  amusements? 

(3)  What  is  the  modem  psychological  attitude  toward  play  and 
recreation?    (Patrick,  The  Psychology  of  Relaxation.) 

(4)  What  is  the  scientific 'estimate  of  the  physical  and  moral  efifects 
of  dancing?    (Moxcey,  Girlhood  and  Character,  pp.  230-233.) 

(5)  What  is  the  history  and  what  are  the  aims  and  methods  of  the 
Boy  Scout  movement?  (Richardson  and  Loomis,  The  Boy  Scout  Movement 
Applied  by  the  Church.) 

(6)  Why  are  the  immoral  efifects  of  the  melodrama,  farce,  and  vaude- 
ville far  greater  than  the  regular  drama?    (Edwards,  Popular  Amusements.) 

(7)  What  significant  facts  have  been  brought  out  by  recreation 
surveys  such  as  have  been  carried  through  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  and 
Providence,  Rhode  Island? 

(8)  Prepare  a  program  for  the  use  of  the  Sabbath  in  your  home,  in 
your  church,  and  in  your  community  that  will  accord  with  Jesus'  inter- 
pretation of  the  significance  of  the  day. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  FAMILY  AND  BELOVED  COMMUNITY. 

Parallel  Readings. 

Kent,  The  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,  pp.  241-251. 

Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  248-283. 

Follett,  The  New  State,  pp.  204-226. 

Certain  Pharisees  came  to  Jesus  and  to  test  him  asked,  "Has  a  man 
the  right  to  divorce  his  wife?"  He  answered,  "What  did  Moses  command 
you?"  They  said,  "Moses  permitted  a  man  to  draw  up  a  notice  of  separa- 
tion and  so  to  divorce  her."  Jesus  said  to  them,  "It  is  because  you  are 
hard-hearted  that  he  wrote  you  that  command;  but  from  the  beginning 
of  creation  God  made  male  and  female.  For  this  reason  a  man  shall  leave 
his  father  and  mother  and  five  with  his  wife,  and  the  man  and  wife  shall 


88  Jestts*  Principles  op  Living 

become  one,  so  that  they  are  no  longer  two  but  one.  What  therefore 
God  has  joined  together  let  no  man  separate." 

When  he  went  into  the  house  his  disciples  asked  him  again  concerning 
this,  and  he  said  to  them,  "Any  man  who  divorces  his  wife  and  marries 
another  woman  commits  adultery  against  her;  and  if  a  woman  divorces 
her  husband  and  marries  another  man,  she  commits  adultery."  Mark 
10:  2-12. 

Jesus  went  into  a  house  and  the  crowd  gathered  again  so  that  it  was 
impossible  even  to  eat  a  meal.  When  his  relatives  heard  of  this,  they  set 
out  to  get  hold  of  him,  for  they  said,  "He  is  out  of  his  mind."  Standing 
outside,  his  mother  and  his  brothers  sent  word  to  him  to  come  out  to  them. 
He  was  in  the  midst  of  a  seated  throng  when  some  one  said  to  him,  "Here 
are  your  mother  and  your  brothers  and  sisters  outside  hunting  for  you.' ' 
He  answered,  "Who  are  my  mother  and  my  brothers?"  Then  looking 
around  at  those  who  sat  in  a  circle  about  him,  he  said,  "Here  are  my  mother 
and  my  brothers.  Whoever  does  the  will  of  God  is  my  brother  and  sister 
and  mother."    Marh  3: 19h-21,  31-35.    {Shorter  Bible  translation.) 


I. 

Jesus'  Recognition  op  the  Importance  op  the  Family. 

The  foundation  and  strength  of  the  Jewish  society  was  the 
family.  The  ancient  Hebrew  commonwealth  was  based  on 
the  local  and  national  popular  assemblies,  which  consisted  of  the 
elders  or  representatives  of  each  family.  These  popular  assem- 
blies not  only  decided  all  important  community  and  national 
questions  and  elected  their  leaders,  but  were  also  the  schools 
in  which  citizens  were  trained.  The  welfare  of  society,  as  well 
as  of  the  individual,  depended,  therefore,  upon  the  stabihty  of 
the  family.  To  the  family  Israel's  lawgivers  and  those  practical 
teachers,  the  wise  men  or  sages,  had  entrusted  the  education  of 
the  individual  during  his  earlier  years.  By  legislation  and 
exhortation  they  had  sought  to  strengthen  and  guard  its  Hfe. 

Jesus  evidently  accepted  these  fundamental  natural  and 
social  principles  and  emphasized  the  importance  of  the  family 
even  more  than  they.  He  saw  that  the  family  is  rooted  in  the 
very  nature  of  life  and  that  in  the  family  the  social  citizen  must 
be  trained;  and  therefore  he  aimed  to  preserve  its  integrity. 
From  the  beginning  to  the  end  the  development  of  human 
personahty  is  bound  up  with  the  family.  He  recognized  too 
that  the  foundation  of  the  family  is  the  marriage  bond  between 
the  parents  and  that  marriage  is  not  a  mere  human  convention, 
but  a  sacred  relation.  With  his  marvelous  insight  into  realities, 
the  natural  bond  of  children  must  have  seemed  to  him  of  even 


The  Family  and  Beloved  Community  89 

greater  importance  than  the  legal  bond.  Though  among  the 
Jews  wives  were  selected  by  the  parents,  it  is  still  possible  that 
he  recognized  the  influence  of  personal  attraction,  love,  that  in 
our  day  is  looked  upon  as  the  right  basis  of  marriage,  and  that  it 
was  through  love  rather  than  mere  legal  form  that  God  joined 
together  man  and  wife.  Marriage,  he  declares,  is  one  of  the 
goals  of  the  divine  purpose  revealed  in  the  natural  world 
from  the  beginning,  for,  since  human  beings  would  cease  to 
exist  without  it,  man  and  woman  are  so  created  that  they 
naturally  enter  into  this  sacred  relation  and  are  bound  together 
by  the  closest  bond  known  to  society  — that  of  parenthood. 

In  Jewish  law  and  custom  parenthood  was  the  consumma- 
tion of  marriage.  It  is  by  this  act  of  creation  that  man  and  wife 
are  joined  together  by  God.  Jesus  declared  that  no  one  had  the 
right  to  sever  this  bond.  Nature's  divine  law  transcended 
even  human  law.  On  this  point  he  did  not  hesitate  to  take 
issue  with  the  authority  of  Moses,  even  though  it  was  paramount 
in  the  Jewish  world  of  his  day.  It  was  one  of  the  few  questions 
on  which  he  laid  down  an  absolute  law.  The  ruhng  was  so 
revolutionary  and  in  the  judgment  of  his  disciples  so  extreme 
that  they  later  questioned  him  privately;  but  he  only  reasserted 
his  profound  conviction.  He  declared  that  divorce  with  a  view 
to  remarriage  was  one  of  the  most  heinous  crimes  that  man  or 
woman  could  commit  against  society.  Despite  the  customs  of 
his  day,  with  his  keen  insight  he  might  well  condemn  marriage 
for  wealth  or  social  prestige  or  any  motive  but  the  God-given 
one  of  love,  though  his  words  touch  only  the  negative  side,  that 
of  divorce.  In  Matthew,  infidehty  alone  is  recognized  as  a 
valid  basis  for  divorce.  In  the  hght  of  contemporary  Jewish 
law  the  adulterer  was  a  criminal  subject  to  the  death  penalty, 
so  that  Jesus  probably  recognized  this  exception,  although  in 
the  oldest  record  (in  Mark)  it  was  not  stated. 

It  is  profoundly  significant  that  he  who  was  the  supreme 
champion  of  individual  liberty  and  development  and  divinely 
charitable  toward  the  sinner  was  adamant  on  this  point.  In  no 
more  striking  way  could  he  have  stressed  the  paramount 
importance  of  the  family  to  the  individual  and  to  society,  and 
yet  it  seems  clear  from  his  whole  attitude  toward  life  that 
reality  rather  than  formal  law  was  in  his  mind.  There  are  many 
real  divorces  —  husband  and  wife  living  separate  Hves  under 
the  same  roof  —  among  legally  married  couples.    There  are 


90  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

many  whose  hearts  are  wedded,  whom  God  has  called  to  union, 
but  whom  desires  for  wealth  or  fame  or  other  opposing  circum- 
stances have  held  apart.  In  ignoring  these  facts  concerning 
marriage  modern  Christian  civilization  has  suffered  its  greatest 
losses.  Homes  dismembered  by  divorce,  often  because  of 
wrong  marriage,  have  bred  our  worst  criminals.  And  yet  lax 
divorce  laws  have  often  not  brought  happiness  or  development 
to  the  many  who  have  resorted  to  them.  Often  their  motives 
have  not  been  good,  but  evil.  It  is  fair  to  say  that  our  present 
practice  has  proved  a  tragic  failure.  Even  though  in  individual 
cases  the  application  of  Jesus'  rule  undoubtedly  means  self- 
denial  and  suffering,  is  it  possible  that  in  the  end  insistence  on 
the  true  marriage  or  none  means  greater  happiness  and  develop- 
ment for  the  individual  as  well  as  for  society? 

The  practical  significance  of  this  ruling  regarding  divorce 
is  obvious;  but  deeper  still  lies  the  real  problem  of  marriage. 
What  does  Jesus  mean  when  he  speaks  of  those  whom  God  has 
joined  together?  The  usual  reply  is,  "  Those  who  in  the  presence 
of  the  civil  or  religious  authorities  have  assumed  the  obligations 
of  marriage."  But  the  marriage  conventions  of  Jesus'  day, 
even  more  than  with  us,  brought  many  together  in  this  relation 
who  felt  no  real  affection  and  in  some  cases  only  repulsion 
toward  each  other.  Did  he  who  went  to  the  heart  of  every 
question  regard  these  as  joined  together  by  God?  When  he 
explained  that  the  Mosaic  divorce  laws  were  due  to  the  fact 
that  they  were  hard-hearted,  was  he  not  referring  to  the  false 
ambitions  and  the  greed  of  parents  as  well  as  of  the  contracting 
parties  and  to  the  other  base  motives  which  often  have  separated 
those  who  truly  love  each  other  or  have  led  to  the  law  marriage  of 
those  who  clearly  were  never  "joined  by  God"?  These  are  the 
marriages  which  fill  our  divorce  courts.  Where  true  love  is  the 
bond,  there  is  no  need  for  divorce  laws.  Was  not  the  vital  aim 
in  Jesus'  teachings  on  this  subject  to  change  men's  hard- 
heartedness  and  so  prevent  the  evil  at  its  fountain  source? 

^  In  any  case  the  conclusions  to  be  drawn  from  Jesus'  words 
are  intensely  practical.  Marriage  is  not  only  a  divine  institution, 
but  each  marriage  can  and  should  be  a  divine  relationship  if 
men  and  women  will  not  harden  their  hearts  but  keep  them 
responsive  to  the  promptings  of  pure  love.  All  the  forces  of 
society  should  be  regulated  with  the  one  aim  of  bringing  into 
the  marriage  relation  those  whom  God  has  joined  together. 


The  Family  and  Beloved  Community  91 

But  as  Jesus  added  in  reply  to  the  questions  of  his  disciples,  if 
men  have  hardened  their  hearts  and  the  interests  of  many  are 
involved,  the  remedy  even  then  may  not  be  legal  divorce,  if  that 
would  involve  as  it  often  does,  grievous  wrong  to  the  innocent 
children  or  parent.  The  interests  of  children  and  of  society 
must  be  preserved,  even  though  when  innocent  mistakes,  rather 
than  evil  motives  or  hardness,  have  jbrought  men  and  women 
into  the  false  relationship  of  loveless  marriage,  and  separation 
or  divorce  seems  the  only  remedy. 

How  far  are  the  divorce  conditions  in  America  due  to  the 
present  behef  in  individualism?  Why  has  the  Protestant  far 
more  than  the  Roman  CathoHc  Church  failed  to  check  legal 
divorce?  Does  the  position  maintained  by  the  Roman  CathoHc 
Church  protect  the  home?  Among  what  classes  are  divorces 
most  common? 

II. 

The  Duties  of  Husbands  and  Wives. 

Jesus'  strenuous  teachings  regarding  divorce  did  not  stand 
alone;  they  are  only  a  part,  although  an  exceedingly  important 
part,  of  his  philosophy  of  living.  They  are  a  corollary  of  the 
command  to  do  to  others  as  you  would  have  them  do  to  you. 
The  type  of  divorce  that  Jesus  condemns  is  secured  that  the 
one  seeking  it  may  remarry.  It  implies  the  motive  of  selfishness, 
not  of  justice.  In  that  act  the  individual  in  order  to  gratify  a 
personal  desire  or  passion  often  ignores  the  rights  and  interests  of 
the  one  divorced,  those  of  the  children  of  the  first  marriage  if 
any,  those  of  the  friends  and  relatives,  and  the  moral  standards 
of  our  present  society,  which  disapprove  whenever  it  separates 
what  God  has  joined  together. 

In  a  family  where  Jesus'  principles  of  living  are  applied, 
divorce  in  order  to  remarry  is  practically  impossible.  The 
initial  love  between  husband  and  wife  (and  without  that  love 
they  would  not  marry)  is  constantly  strengthened  by  acts  of 
tender  consideration.  Each  is  seeking  to  improve  the  thousand 
opportunities  that  family  life  offers  to  do  to  the  other  what 
each  would  have  done  to  himself.  Nothing  binds  individuals 
more  closely  than  doing  a  worthy  task  together,  and  life  offers 
no  nobler  task  than  that  of  parenthood.    Marriage,  as  Jesus 


92  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

interpreted  life,  is  a  venture  that  calls  for  a  large  amount  of 
self-sacrifice;  but  indeed  self-sacrifice  in  behalf  of  a  great  cause 
makes  individuals  one  as  no  other  force  in  the  universe  except 
love. 

Paul,  in  the  fourth  chapter  of  I  Thessalonians,  has  preserved 
a  characteristic  teaching  of  his  Master's  that  is  not  found  in 
the  Gospels:  ''It  is  God's  will  that  each  one  of  you  should 
learn  to  five  with  his  wife  with  a  pure  and  noble  intent  and  not 
chiefly  to  gratify  sexual  passions,  as  do  those  who  have  no 
knowledge  of  God."  No  passage  perhaps  reveals  more  clearly 
Jesus'  marvellous  insight  into  human  life.  Here  he  guards  his 
followers  against  the  end  which  has  driven  in  desperation 
countless  thousands  into  our  modern  divorce  courts.  The 
teaching  illustrates  the  knightly  attitude  toward  woman  which 
he  sought  to  inspire  in  all  his  followers.  Nowhere  is  this  attitude 
more  necessary  than  in  the  vital  and  intimate  relations  of 
married  life.  When  it  is  present  in  every  home,  the  revelations 
of  shameless  selfishness,  brutality,  and  bestiahty  that  disgrace 
our  divorce  courts  will  cease  to  besmirch  our  modern  civiliza- 
tion. Instead,  from  the  Christian  home  throughout  the  world 
will  go  forth  youth  well  fitted  to  lay  the  foundations  of  that 
new  social  order  which  Jesus  described  as  the  rule  of  God. 

What  grounds  for  divorce  are  most  often  presented  in  our 
modern  courts?  In  what  ways  can  a  wise  Christian  judge 
prevent  rash  divorces?  How  can  public  opinion  be  aroused 
and  organized  to  combat  this  evil?  What  is  the  effect  of  family 
worship  toward  the  checking  of  divorces?  What  restrictions 
should  be  placed  upon  marriage,  so  as  to  secure  only  those  that 
promise  to  be  happy?  What  are  the  social  dangers  of  restric- 
tions upon  marriage? 

III. 
The  Obligations  of  Parents  and  Children. 
Jesus  lays  down  no  detailed  rules  regarding  the  duties  of 
parents  to  their  children,  and  yet  a  fine  ideal  of  parenthood  is 
reflected  in  the  Gospels.  Its  background  is  the  home  at 
Nazareth  where  love  and  mutual  confidence  reigned.  Jesus 
assumes  that  every  true  parent  will  not  only  provide  for  his 
children  the  necessities  of  life  but  that  he  will  use  his  wisest 


The  Family  and  Beloved  Community  93 

judgment  in  giving  what  is  best  for  them  even  though  it  be 
not  what  they  ask.  The  Golden  Rule  wdth  its  many-sided 
applications  illumines  the  duties  of  parents.  Knowledge, 
sympathy,  and  long  and  intimate  acquaintance  enable  them  to 
understand  their  children,  to  enter  into  their  point  of  view,  to 
anticipate  their  needs  and  therefore  to  do  for  them  what  no 
one  else  can  do. 

Parenthood,  like  marriage,  is  a  venture  that  to  be  a  success 
requires  a  large  capital  of  self-denial  and  devotion.  Supremely 
blest  is  the  child  that  comes  to  the  home  desired  and  therefore 
welcomed.  It  establishes  a  basis  between  the  child  and  its 
parents  that  nothing  else  can  supply.  It  is  the  guarantee  that 
the  child  will  hold  the  central  place  in  the  minds  of  the  parents 
and  that  they  will  not  commit  the  fatal  crime  of  turning  entirely 
over  to  nurses  and  governesses  the  moral  and  religious  training 
of  the  little  stranger  whom  they  alone  can  make  truly  at  home 
in  this  new  world  into  which  he  has  entered. 

Jesus  set  his  face  against  the  practices  of  his  day  and  even* 
the  counsel  of  his  disciples  and  gave  little  children  the  first 
place  in  the  new  type  of  society  that  he  was  seeking  to  establish. 
He  did  so,  as  he  explained,  because  they  are  most  eligible  for 
citizenship  in  that  society  where  trust,  teachable  attitude,  and 
readiness  to  obey  are  the  chief  qualifications.  No  parent  can 
afford  to  ignore  his  examples.  As  faithful  parents,  they  will 
learn  far  more  from  their  children  than  they  themselves  teach, 
although  one  of  the  chief  joys  of  parenthood  is  the  interchange 
of  that  deep  philosophy  of  life  which  through  broader  experience 
each  parent  has  gained. 

In  his  work  with  his  disciples  Jesus  proved  a  strict  yet 
kindly  disciplinarian.  He  beUeved  in  developing  right  habits 
of  behavior  and  work  as  well  as  of  thinking.  In  this  respect 
he  set  a  most  practical  example  to  parents  in  dealing  with  their 
children  during  the  impressionable  habit-forming  period. 
Perhaps  the  greatest  lesson  that  parents  can  teach  their  children 
during  this  period  is  the  law  of  consequences. 

As  the  training  of  Jesus'  disciples  progressed,  he  took  them 
more  and  more  into  his  confidence  and  made  them  his  com- 
rades. This  relationship  between  parents  and  children  during 
the  adolescent  period  onward  is  the  secret  of  successful  parent- 
hood. The  task  then  is  to  teach  youth  to  walk  willingly  along 
the  path  of  wisdom  and  virtue,    Stern  commands  and  mere 


94  Jesus^  Principles  op  Living 

punishment  are  now  futile.  The  will  to  do  right  must  be 
within.  The  habit  of  right  doing  and  thinking  can  best  be 
learned  through  happy  comradeship  with  their  earliest  and 
most  beloved  playmates,  their  parents.  Wise  and  blessed 
indeed  is  the  parent  who  learns  the  divine  art  of  not  obtruding 
his  companionship  upon  sensitive  and  variable  adolescence  but 
who  never  fails  to  respond  to  those  calls  for  help,  often  diffi- 
cult to  detect,  that  youth  is  constantly  sending  out  while 
crossing  the  dangerous  bar  that  divides  childhood  from  man- 
hood and  womanhood. 

To  parents  is  entrusted  the  sacred  task  of  imparting 
to  their  children  the  divine  mysteries  and  responsibilities  of 
sex.  Sometimes  the  parent  may  select  the  fitting  occasion. 
More  often  it  is  determined  by  a  sudden  question  or  a  crisis  in 
the  Ufe  of  the  child.  For  that  fateful  moment  every  parent 
should  long  before  have  made  careful  and  thorough  preparation. 
When  it  arrives  all  other  engagements  may  well  be  ignored, 
for  it  presents  one  of  the  supreme  issues  of  life  and  to-morrow 
may  be  a  lifetime  too  late.  Usually  in  our  overdeveloped 
American  life  this  great  opportunity  and  responsibility  comes 
during  childhood.  It  is  far  better  if  the  child's  curiosity  regard- 
ing sex  questions  is  satisfied  in  a  clean,  normal,  reverential 
way  before  reaching  the  stormy  period  of  early  adolescence. 
As  one  wise  parent  prominent  in  the  public  fife  of  the  nation 
has  recently  said:  "Our  children  must  learn  most  of  their 
lessons  in  the  school  of  experience;  we  parents  can  simply 
teach  them  a  few  vital  principles  of  fife  that  are  necessaiy  to 
save  them  from  shipwreck.'' 

The  consciousness  of  the  co-operation  of  the  divine  Father 
in  this  most  important  task  of  life  should  be  even  a  greater 
source  of  strength  and  assurance  than  it  is  to  the  ordinary 
Christian  parent.  In  speaking  of  children  Jesus  also  declared 
in  a  passage  that  we  have  perhaps  too  hastily  relegated  to  the 
realm  of  poetry:  *'I  tell  you  that  their  angels  always  behold 
the  face  of  my  Father  in  heaven"  (Matt.  18:  11).  In  this 
connection  he  laid  down  the  principle  that  is  at  the  foundation 
of  all  the  modem  Christian  movements  that  seek  to  conserve 
children  and  to  combat  child  labor  and  all  that  tends  to  rob 
children  of  their  divine  birthright. 

In  the  light  of  the  Old  Testament  teachings,  which  Jesus 
simply  aimed  to  supplement,  it  requires  little  imagination  to 


The  Family  and  Beloved  CoMMUNirr'  95 

picture  what  he  would  have  taught  in  detail  regarding  the 
duties  of  children  to  parents.  The  first  twenty-five  years  of 
his  life  also  proclaim  more  loudly  than  words  the  joyous  duty 
of  respect,  consideration,  appreciation,  loyalty  and  co-operation. 
In  one  significant  passage  he  voices  his  own  high  ideal  of  the 
duty  of  children  to  parents.  It  is  in  connection  with  his  stern 
rebuke  of  the  hypocritical  formalism  of  the  Pharisees  (Mark  7: 
6-13),  who  taught  their  disciples  that  a  vow  and  the  demands  of 
the  ceremonial  worship  took  precedence  over  the  filial  obliga- 
tions. With  hot  indignation  he  turned  upon  them:  "A  fine 
thing  it  is  for  you  to  set  aside  God's  command  that  you  may 
keep  your  own  tradition!  For  Moses  said,  'Honor  your  father 
and  mother.'  'He  who  speaks  evil  of  father  or  mother,  let  him 
surely  die.'  But  you  say,  'If  a  man  says  to  his  father  or  his 
mother,  What  I  might  have  used  to  help  you  is  consecrated  to 
God,'  you  no  longer  allow  him  to  do  anything  for  his  father  or 
his  mother.  Thus  you  set  aside  the  command  of  God  by  your 
traditions  which  you  have  handed  down." 

What  other  obligations  in  human  life  are  more  imperative 
than  parenthood?  What  place  should  play  have  in  family 
life?  Did  Jesus  put  duties  to  parents  before  duties  to  God, 
or  is  such  an  antithesis  impossible?  How  can  children  best 
honor  their  parents? 

IV. 
Masters  and  Servants. 

In  many  homes,  especially  where  there  are  numerous 
children,  the  problem  of  domestic  service  is  both  vital  and 
sinister.  A  certain  degree  of  mutual  dependence  which  will 
bind  parents  and  children  together  by  acts  of  helpfulness  is 
salutary,  and  should  be,  as  it  is  in  many  Christian  homes, 
frankly  recognized  as  a  blessing.  But  there  are  definite  Hmita- 
tions  to  the  time  and  strength  of  the  conscientious  mother 
which  make  additional  assistance  in  the  home  imperative.  As 
a  rule  the  higher  the  ideals  of  the  parents  for  the  children  the 
more  imperative  is  the  need. 

Unfortunately  the  stigma  of  servility  to  a  certain  extent 
still  rests  upon  domestic  service,  and  it  has  been  hedged  in  by 
certain  limitations  which  have  made  the  implication  of  bondage 
in  part  a  reality.  For  these  grave  problems  Jesus  offers  a 
complete  solution.    It  is  as  complete  as  it  is  revolutionary. 


96  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

Like  many  of  his  teachings,  it  anticipates  the  trend  of  modem 
public  opinion.  It  breathes  the  spirit  of  the  perfect  democracy 
of  to-morrow  rather  than  the  incomplete  democracy  of  to-day. 
At  the  bottom  of  all  his  philosophy  hes  his  profound  apprecia- 
tion of  the  sanctity  and  potential  value  of  each  personahty  and 
the  most  democratic  principle  ever  uttered:  "Whoever  would 
be  great  among  you  shall  be  your  servant  and  whoever  would 
be  first  among  you  shall  be  servant  of  all."  The  far-reaching 
effects  of  this  principle  when  thoroughly  applied  in  the  home 
are  well  worthy  of  careful  consideration.  It  at  once  exalts  the 
despised  word  "servant"  (derived  from  the  Latin  root  meaning 
to  serve)  to  the  preeminent  place.  In  the  society  that  he 
founded,  service  is  the  only  basis  of  honor  and  preeminence. 
Measured  by  his  standard,  in  the  home  of  the  idle  rich  (if  there 
are  any  such  to-day)  the  humblest  servant  who  faithfully 
serves  is  obviously  superior  to  his  master  if  the  master  serves  not 
at  all.  Already  the  principles  of  Jesus  have  banished  the  institu- 
tion of  slavery  from  the  earth,  and  as  soon  as  they  are  fully 
accepted  and  applied  will  forever  remove  the  stigma  from  domes- 
tic service  and  from  all  other  useful  work.  We  will  then  all  become 
servants  in  one  capacity  or  another.  The  relative  pre-eminence 
of  master  and  servant  will  depend  simply  upon  the  quantity, 
quality,  and  fidehty  of  their  respective  services  to  society. 
A  recent  play  by  Charles  Rann  Kennedy,  "The  Servant  in  the 
House,"  has  marvelously  dramatized  this  real  truth. 

When  both  mistress  and  servant  are  eager  to  serve  each 
other,  the  Christian  spirit  of  co-operation  will  quickly  dispel 
all  class  antagonisms.  Servants  will  be  transformed.  The 
schedule,  as  well  as  the  architecture,  of  many  a  Christian  home 
to-day  is  arranged  so  as  to  conserve  the  happiness  and  interests 
of  those  who  serve  with  their  hands  as  well  as  those  who  serve 
with  their  brains.  If  Jesus'  principles  of  Hving  are  thoroughly 
applied,  the  domestic  is  the  simplest  of  our  industrial  problems, 
for  the  home  offers  the  greatest  opportunities  for  constructive 
workmanship  of  the  most  enduring  type,  since  it  is  far  nobler 
to  develop  human  beings  than  machines. 

Why  do  most  manual  laborers  avoid  domestic  service? 
What  are  the  reasons,  if  any,  why  servants  in  the  home  should 
have  fewer  hours  for  recreation  than  industrial  employees? 
What  can  be  done  to  promote  the  social  life  of  domestic  helpers? 


The  Family  and  Beloved  Community  97 

V. 

The  Rehabilitation  op  the  Home. 

The  glory  and  strength  of  our  pioneer  days  in  America, 
as  well  as  in  early  Israel,  was  the  home.  The  descendants  of 
those  homes  are  to-day  among  the  most  efficient  leaders  in  our 
modem  civihzation;  but  we  cannot  expect  that  they  alone  will 
be  able  to  meet  the  rigorous  demands  of  the  new  age.  The 
new  leaders  must  be  bred  in  modern  homes.  The  preservation 
or  rehabilitation  of  the  home  is  therefore  in  many  ways  the 
most  vital  need  of  our  new  civihzation. 

The  rehabilitation  of  the  home  is  very  generally  necessary 
because  during  the  past  century  it  has  been  subjected  to  many 
disintegrating  influences.  These  must  be  clearly  understood 
before  they  can  be  overcome  or  ehminated.  Chief  among 
them  are  the  insufficient  and  improper  housitig  conditions 
that  have  often  resulted  from  our  modern  industriahsm.  Great 
masses,  on  a  low  wage  and  ignorant  of  the  principles 
of  domestic  science,  are  often  crowded  together  in  the  least 
desirable  residence  sections  of  our  manufacturing  cities.  In 
many  cases  a  large  family  lives  in  one  or  two  squalid  rooms  in 
a  huge  tenement  house  that  opens  from  an  equally  crowded 
street  or  alley.  Under  these  conditions  no  real  home  can  be 
created.  Children  reared  in  such  environment  lack  nearly 
everything  which  a  home  should  give  them:  proper  shelter, 
nutrition,  parental  care,  opportunities  for  play  and  recreation, 
and  inspiration  in  forming  right  physical,  mental  and  moral 
habits. 

Fortunately  the  fact  is  gradually  dawning  upon  enlightened 
employers  and  citizens  that  society,  as  well  as  individuals,  is 
in  part  responsible  for  these  conditions.  Improved  tenement 
laws,  the  movement  for  better  housing,  instruction  in  domestic 
economics,  the  popular  demand  that  all  manual  workers  receive 
a  wage  adequate  for  fit  support,  and  similar  reforms  not  only 
illustrate  the  way  the  good  Samaritan  would  to-day  go  about 
his  task  of  proving  himself  a  neighbor,  but  are  also  absolutely 
essential  if  the  modern  home  is  to  be  rehabihtated. 

Long  hours  of  labor  and  especially  of  female  and  child 
labor  still  further  rob  childhood  of  its  divine  rights.  Efficient 
parenthood  calls^for  time,  opportunity  and  the  highest  physical 
and  spiritual  vigor.    The  demands  for  shorter  hours  of  work 


98  Jesus'  Principles  op  Livino 

and  for  the  restriction  of  female  and  child  labor,  both  happily- 
meeting  general  recognition,  are  more  than  a  plea  for  the  individ- 
ual directly  involved  —  they  are  the  necessary  step  in  the  rehabil- 
itation of  the  home  which  is  the  corner-stone  of  our  civilization. 

Among  brain  workers  the  peril  of  long  hours  of  labor  is 
even  more  insidious.  To  the  long  business  and  professional 
hours  are  added  those  spent  in  equally  absorbing  v/ork  for 
civic,  social  and  church  organizations,  with  the  result  that  the 
ambitious  and  conscientious  but  misguided  parents,  for  lack  of 
time  and  energy,  make  a  tragic  failure  of  their  main  task  in 
life.  Unfortunately  the  parents  who  are  sitting  in  committees 
considering  how  they  may  save  the  children  of  the  poor  of 
Russia  or  Armenia,  while  their  own  children  grow  up  potential 
criminals  for  lack  of  parental  direction  and  companionship, 
are  not  limited  to  the  comic  papers.  To  them  may  well  be 
appUed  Jesus'  stern  denunciation  of  those  who  neglect  to  ^ve 
to  the  members  of  their  own  family  what  they  vitally  need,  and 
then  excuse  their  crime  with  the  plea  that  their  wealth  is  con- 
secrated to  God  and  must  be  turned  over  to  some  public 
institution  (Mark  7:  6-13).  When  the  home  is  given  the  place 
in  our  modern  thought  that  Jesus  gave  it,  this  popular  but 
specious  type  of  sin  will  disappear,  and  we  shall  also  have 
fewer  but  more  efficient  social  organizations. 

Divorce  and  the  social  evil  both  strike  blows  at  the  home. 
In  a  land  where  one  out  of  every  thirteen  marriages  results  in 
divorce,  the  number  of  ruined  homes  is  appalling.  It  is  obvious 
that  education  in  the  meaning  and  responsibiUties  of  marriage 
must  have  a  far  larger  place  in  our  modern  civihzation.  The 
public  school,  the  church  and  the  press  must  all  be  led  to  do 
their  part  in  this  education  which  is  essential  to  the  rehabilita- 
tion of  the  home.  ^ 

Even  more  insidious  and  deadly  than  divorce  is  the  social 
evil,  for  it  strikes  a  blow  not  only  at  the  purity  of  the  home, 
but  at  the  physical,  mental  and  moral  health  of  the  children, 
who  rightly  occupy  the  center  of  the  stage  in  Christian  family 
life.  The  time  is  ripe  for  a  world-wide  campaign  for  moral 
sanitation  and  education  which  will  check  the  ravages  of  this 
evil,  far  more  destructive  than  the  bubonic  plague,  and  will  leave 
the  home  free  to  develop  in  accord  with  God's  good  purpose. 
The  aboUtion  of  the  double  standard  for  man  and  woman  and 
the  humane  care  and  the  scientific  methods  now  being  adopted 


The  Family  and  Beloved  Community  99 

to  reclaim  the  victims  of  not  only  their  own  weakness  but  also 
of  society's  false  standards,  are  some  of  the  practical  ways  in 
which  Jesus'  example  and  teachings  are  influencing  modern  life. 

Another  evil  that  is  undermining  the  home  is  the  tendency 
of  many  parents  to  leave  the  religious  as  well  as  the  intellectual 
training  of  their  children  to  church  and  state.  Many  are 
xmacquainted  with  that  unique  repository  of  social,  ethical  and 
rehgious  truth  —  the  Bible.  Many  more,  because  of  inherited 
traditions  or  inertia,  are  unfamiliar  with  the  modem  methods 
of  studying  and  interpreting  it,  and  so  find  themselves  imable 
to  speak  the  language  that  their  children  have  learned  in  public 
and  church  schools.  They  have  also  failed  to  avail  themselves 
of  the  practical  results  of  the  modern  scientific  study  of  child- 
hood and  of  the  problems  peculiar  to  parenthood,  so  that  when 
they  face  their  greatest  responsibiUty  and  opportunity  they  are 
unable  to  qualify.  Parenthood  in  the  twentieth  century  is  a 
profession,  not  a  mere  incident,  and  the  sooner  this  fact  is 
clearly  recognized  the  sooner  the  home  will  be  rehabihtated. 

Parents  have  responsibilities  that  they  can  delegate  to  no 
one  else.  Through  the  eyes  of  their  own  experience  and  charac- 
teristics they  alone  can  fully  understand  the  potential  strength 
and  weakness  of  their  children  and  teach  them  how  to  over- 
come the  evil  with  the  good.  The  parents  occupy  an  absolutely 
unique  vantage  point  from  which  to  establish  the  ideals,  the 
standards,  the  habits,  and  the  characters  of  the  highly  impres- 
sionable guests  who  at  their  invitation  have  come  to  live  in 
.their  home. 

As  in  olden  days,  the  parents  are  the  high  priests  in  the 
home.  They  can  neglect  their  task  and  thereby  merit  the 
stinging  censure  that  Jesus  directed  against  the  degenerate 
high  priests  of  his  nation;  but  they  cannot  abdicate.  No  nurse 
or  teacher  can  help  the  child  to  recognize  the  good  purpose  in 
the  universe  and  to  trust  and  co-operate  with  the  Heavenly 
Father  as  can  the  parent,  if  he  is  properly  trained.  The  appre- 
ciation of  the  divine  worthship,  if  but  aroused,  grows  naturally 
in  the  home  into  the  habits  of  true,  if  not  of  formal  worship. 
The  wise  parent  will,  like  the  ancients,  link  closely  together 
true  worship  and  recreation  and  will  dramatize  in  all  the 
religious  life  of  the  family  the  fact  that  Jesus'  way  of  living  is 
the  way  of  joy  and  happiness. 

If  Jesus'  principles  are  to  gain  universal  acceptance,  the 


100  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

home  must  be  rehabilitated,  and  it  can  be  rehabilitated  only  as 
his  principles  are  simply  and  naturally  taught  and  applied  in  the 
family. 

What  can  the  pubUc  school  contribute  to  rehabilitating 
the  home?  What  can  the  church  do  and  through  what  agen- 
cies? How  can  we  educate  youth  so  that  there  will  be  a  clear 
appreciation  of  the  significance  and  responsibilities  of  marriage? 


VI. 

The  Beloved  Community. 

Jesus'  entire  social  theory  was  rooted  in  the  family.  His 
social  program  may  be  described  in  a  word  as  a  deliberate  and 
systematic  endeavor  to  carry  the  ideals  of  the  family  into  every 
community  and  ultimately  throughout  the  world,  until  all 
mankind  should  recognize  the  obligations  and  share  the  joys 
of  common  fatherhood  and  brotherhood.  Supremely  loyal 
though  Jesus  was  to  all  his  filial  obligations,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  when  he  reached  full  maturity,  he  turned  a  deaf  ear 
to  the  demand  of  his  kinsmen  that  he  return  home,  and  hence- 
forth devoted  himself  wholly  to  the  service  of  the  larger  brother- 
hood. Upon  his  disciples  he  placed  the  same  obHgation.  ''Any 
one  who  loves  father  or  mother  more  than  me  is  not  worthy 
of  me,  and  any  one  who  loves  son  or  daughter  more  than  me 
is  not  worthy  of  me.  Any  one  who  does  not  take  up  his  cross 
and  follow  where  I  lead  is  not  worthy  of  me.  He  who  finds 
his  fife  shall  lose  it,  and  he  who  loses  his  life  for  my  sake  shall 
find  it." 

Here  Jesus  was  evidently  using  an  oriental  hyperbole 
which  still  survives  in  the  Near  East,  but  he  did  so  in  order  to 
emphasize  a  most  important  truth.  Loyalty  to  one's  self  is 
natural  to  childhood.  Even  greed  and  selfishness  are  then 
normal.  As  the  child  matures,  however,  he  develops  loyalty 
to  family,  and  this  loyalty  is  a  vast  advance  over  selfishness. 
But  the  law  of  Hfe  is,  as  Jesus  dramatically  declared,  an  ever- 
widening  circle  of  loyalties.  The  boy's  intense  loyalty  to  his 
gang  or  the  girl's  to  her  set  represents  a  widening  circle  which 
in  later  youth  expands  into  loyalty  to  the  club  or  fraternity  or 
church.    Larger  loyalties  embrace  the  lesser.    The  youth  who 


The  Family  and  Beloved  Community  101 

is  loyal  to  his  church  is  not  less  but  more  loyal  to  himself  and 
to  his  family.  But  whenever  the  expression  of  this  loyalty  is 
arrested,  the  individual  ceases  to  develop  and  remains  a  child 
or  youth  in  social  stature. 

Jesus  sought  to  lead  his  followers  on  to  the  full  stature  of 
the  perfect  man  and  woman.  Therefore  he  set  before  them  the 
ideal  of  the  beloved  community.  It  included  all  who,  like  them- 
selves, were  intent  upon  doing  the  will  of  God.  These  Jesus 
implied  were  not  only  his  but  their  brothers  and  sisters  and 
mothers.  This  beloved  community  was  the  larger  family, 
capable  through  their  united  efforts  of  unlimited  expansion,  to 
which  he  directed  their  supreme  devotion  and  loyalty.  Jesus 
sought  to  build  up  about  each  individual  an  eager,  kindly, 
fraternal  group,  ever  growing  until  it  included  all  members  of 
the  local  community.  In  this  each  found  not  only  friendship, 
sympathy  and  help  but  ample  opportunity  for  self-expression 
and  growth  through  service.  This  was  the  only  type  of  church 
that  Jesus  ever  founded.  It  was  the  family  ideal  expanded 
until  it  included  all  members  of  the  local  community  who  were 
responsive  to  the  feelings  of  brotherhood  and  then  expanded 
again  until  it  bound  together,  through  common  loyalties,  all 
men  of  all  races  who  accepted  Jesus'  principles  of  living.  Like 
a  mother  bird,  he  longed  to  gather  all  of  the  scattered  sons  of 
Abraham  under  his  enfolding  wings.  The  Gospel  of  John  also 
reminds  us  that  the  great  Shepherd  had  sheep  not  of  the  Jewish 
fold  under  his  care. 


Why  did  Jesus'  strenuous  demands  upon  his  followers  not 
lead  them  to  abandon  or  neglect  their  families?  How  far  were 
narrow  national  and  racial  loyalties  responsible  for  the  Great 
War?  In  what  way  can  modern  churches  approximate  most 
nearly  to  Jesus'  ideal  of  the  beloved  community. 

Subjects  for  Further  Study. 

(1)  Wnat  work  is  being  done  in  America  to  combat  the  divorce  evil? 

(2)  How  would  you  as  a  parent  seek  to  make  clear  to  your  child  the 
facts  of  sex?    (Cf .  Richardson,  Sex  Culture  Talk  with  Young  Men.) 

(3)  What  more  can  the  church  do  to  bring  youth  together  under 
conditions  that  will  lead  to  happy  rather  than  unfortunate  marriages? 
What  are  the  chief  causes  of  the  declining  birth  rate  in  most  modern 
countries?    What  are  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  birth  control? 


102  Jesus^  Principles  op  Living 

(4)  What  are  the  best  books  to  put  in  the  hands  of  young  and  inex- 
perienced parents?  (Cf .  Forbush,  Child  Study  and  Child  Training;  Dawson, 
The  Child  and  His  Religion;  Moxcey,  Girlhood  and  Character;  Hartshome, 
Boyhood  and  Character;  EUzabeth  Grinnel,  How  John  and  I  Brought  Up 
the  Child;  Lofthouse,  Ethics  and  the  Family;  Jewett,  The  Next  Generation.) 

(5)  Why  do  famiUes  decUne  and  die  out? 

(6)  Picture  a  day  in  the  hfe  of  the  beloved  community  that  Jesus 
estabhshed  at  Capernaum. 


CHAPTER  IX. 
THE  CITIZEN  AND  THE  STATE. 

Parallel  Readings. 

Kent,  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jestis,  pp.  252-266. 

Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  284-309. 
•  FoUett,  The  New  State,  pp.  227-257. 

Then  the  King  will  say  to  those  on  his  right,  "Come,  you  whom'my 
Father  has  commended,  enter  into  possession  of  the  kingdom  prepared  for 
you  since  the  creation  of  the  world;  for  I  was  hungry  and  you  gave  me 
food,  I  was  thirsty  and  you  gave  me  drink,  I  was  a  stranger  and  you 
welcomed  me,  I  was  naked  and  you  clothed  me,  I  was  sick  and  you  cared 
for  nie,  I  was  in  prison  and  you  came  to  me."  Matt.  25:  34-36. 

"Truly,  inasmuch  as  you  have  done  it  even  to  the  least  of  these  my 
brothers,  you  have  done  it  to  me."  Matt.  25:  Jfi. 

You  know  that  those  who  are  regarded  as  rulers  in  foreign  countries 
lord  it  over  their  subjects,  and  their  great  men  exercise  authority  over 
them;  but  it  is  not  so  among  you.  Whoever  wishes  to  be  great  among  you 
shall  serve  you,  and  whoever  wishes  to  be  first  among  you  shall  be  of  ser- 
vice to  all.  For  the  Son  of  Man  did  not  come  to  be  served  but  to  be  of 
service  to  others,  and  to  give  his  hfe  in  order  to  gain  freedom  for  many. 
Marh  10:  42'4^- 

''  *  You  have  heard  the  saying,  "An  eye  for  an  eye  and  a  tooth  for  a 
"tooth,"  yet  I  say  to  you,  do  not  resent  an  injury;  but  to  him  who  strikes 
you  on  the  right  cheek  turn  the  other  also.  If  any  one  wishes  to  sue  you 
and  to  take  away  your  coat,  let  him  have  your  outer  coat  also.  Whoever 
forces  you  to  go  one  mile,  go  with  him  two  miles.  Give  to  him  who  asks 
of  you,  and  turn  away  from  no  one  who  wishes  to  borrow  from  you.  Matt, 
6:  38-42. 

Therefore,  whatsoever  you  wish  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  even 
so  to  them;  this  is  the  summing  up  of  the  law  and  the  prophets.  Matt, 
7: 12. 

The  high  priests  sent  to  Jesus  some  of  the  Pharisees  and  certain  of 
Herod's  supporters  to  entangle  him  with  questions.  They  came  to  him 
and  said,  "Teacher,  we  know  that  you  are  truthful  and  fearless,  for  you 
defer  to  no  one  but  faithfully  teach  the  way  in  which  God  wishes  men  to 
hve.  Is  it  right  to  pay  taxes  to  Caesar,  or  is  it  not?  Shall  we  pay  or  shall 
we  not  pay?"  But  knowing  their  hypocrisy,  Jesus  rephed,  "Why  do 
you  try  to  entrap  me?   Bring  me  a  coin  and  let  me  see  it.' '    And  when  they 


The  Citizen  and  the  State  103 

brought  him  one,  he  asked,  "Whose  image  and  inscription  are  these?" 
They  said  to  him,  "Caesar's."  Then  to  their  astonishment  Jesus  said  to 
them,  "Give  to  Caesar  what  belongs  to  Caesar,  and  to  God  what  belongs 
to  God."     Matt.  22: 16-21. 

No  sound  tree  bears  rotten  fruit;  neither  does  a  rotten  tree  bear 
sound  fruit;  for  each  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit.  Figs  are  not  gathered 
from  thorns,  nor  grapes  picked  from  a  bramble-bush.  From  the  good 
stored  in  his  heart  the  good  man  brings  forth  goodness,  but  the  evil  man 
from  his  evil  store  brings  forth  evil;  for  the  mouth  speaks  that  with  which 
the  heart  is  filled.    Luke  6:  43-4^. 

You  are  the  salt  of  the  earth;  but  if  the  salt  has  become  tasteless, 
how  shall  it  regain  its  strength?  It  is  no  longer  fit  for  anything  but  to  be 
thrown  out  and  trodden  under  foot. 

You  are  the  Ught  of  the  world.  A  city  on  a  hill  cannot  be  hidden. 
One  does  not  hght  a  candle  to  put  it  under  a  basket  but  on  a  stan-d,  where 
it  shall  give  Ught  to  all  in  the  house.  So  let  your  Ught  shine  before  men 
that  they  may  see  your  good  deeds  and  praise  your  heavenly  Father. 
Matt.  6: 13-16.     {Shorter  Bible  translation.) 

I. 

Jesus'  Conception  of  the  Citizen's  Duties. 

It  has  already  been  noted  that  Jesus  developed  his  prin- 
ciple of  service  to  the  community  from  the  viewpoint  of  the 
individual.  Considering  the  conditions  under  which  he  was 
Hving  in  Palestine  and  that  his  view  of  a  redemption  of  humanity- 
was  primarily  not  poHtical,  he  would  naturally  plan  first  to 
redeem  the  hearts  of  individuals  and  then  through  these  regener- 
ated individuals  make  over  society.  Therefore,  he  would 
in  like  manner  approach  any  subject  of  political  reformation 
through  the  local  community.  He  would  then  expect  that 
reformed  local  communities  would  gradually  build  over  the 
nation  and  that  through  the  regenerated  nations  would  come  a 
new  world.  It  is  evident,  also,  that  imder  the  conditions  then 
existing  in  Palestine,  which  was  largely  a  self-governing  Jewish 
community  under  the  lordship  of  Rome,  it  was  unwise  to 
attempt  to  exert  directly  any  political  influence,  though  his 
teachings  might  indirectly  have  great  political  effect. 

The  fundamental  reason,  however,  for  his  method  was 
doubtless  a  psycholo^cal  one.  He  beheved  it  to  be  the  only 
sound  method  of  rebuilding  society,  for  in  his  mind  the  individ- 
ual is  the  social  unit.  It  seems  clear,  nevertheless,  that  Jesus 
had  in  mind  also  community  betterment,  and  that  he  had 
hoped  and  expected  that  by  his  work  in  Capernaum  he  would 
succeed  in  making  of  that  busy  central  city  a  type  of  community 


104  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

which  might  well  serve  as  a  model  for  others.  He  chose  a  small 
group  of  disciples  to  be  infused  with  his  spirit  and  then  by 
their  personal  efforts  he  planned  to  plant  his  spirit  in  the 
hearts  of  others  throughout  different  parts  of  Palestine. 
Moreover,  in  his  work  of  healing  and  teaching,  and  through 
his  giving  of  charity  and  preaching  brotherly  love,  he  had 
hoped  to  build  up  some  social  organizations  that  would  affect 
profoundly  the  hfe  of  the  city.  We  may  note  from  his 
touching  and  eloquent  picture  of  the  Son  of  Man  in  his 
glory  judging  the  nations  and  separating  the  good  from  the 
evil  as  the  shepherd  separates  the  sheep  from  the  goats, 
his  idea  of  social  work.  The  religious  man  was  to  give  food 
and  drink  to  the*  hungry  and  thirsty,  he  was  to  welcome 
the  stranger,  clothe  the  naked,  care  for  and  heal  the  sick,  and 
visit  those  in  prison.  We  find  here  comprised  the  chief  public 
works  of  charity  and  helpfulness  even  at  the  present  time. 
And  when  he  went  further  than  to  enumerate  in  specific  words 
these  duties,  and,  in  order  to  interpret  the  spirit  of  his  teachings, 
added,  *' Inasmuch  as  you  have  done  it  even  to  the  least  of 
these  my  brothers,  you  have  done  it  to  me,''  we  see  how  truly 
social  was  the  entire  spirit  of  his  teachings  and  yet  how  the 
range  of  his  interest  as  thus  depicted  was  Hmited  to  the  local 
community. 

In  other  parts  of  his  teachings  we  see  that  he  expected 
each  worthy  citizen  not  only  to  care  for  his  individual  brothers, 
but  to  perform  his  duties  to  the  pubhc  by  the  payment  of  taxes 
and  the  meeting  of  other  public  obHgations.  He  clearly  recog- 
nized the  need  of  government  and  of  rulers  and  the  obligations 
that  rest  upon  all  citizens  to  give  such  rulers  proper  support. 
Naturally,  under  the  conditions  in  which  he  was  hving,  nothing 
was  said  about  the  form  of  government,  either  democratic  or 
imperiahstic.  Pohtical  agitation  in  the  modern  sense  of  the 
word  would  be  impracticable;  but  even  worse  than  that,  it 
would  at  that  time  have  absolutely  ruined  the  fundamental 
principles  of  Christianity  as  applied  to  the  individual.  If  he 
were  to  become  tho  Messiah,  he  must  be  the  Messiah  not  in  the 
old  Jewish  pohtical  sense  of  that  word  but  in  the  new  sense  of 
estabhshing  the  rule  of  God  in  the  hearts  of  individuals.  The 
Jewish  people  were  anticipating  the  coming  of  a  Messiah  who 
should  be  a  temporal  ruler  and  who  should  come  with  sword 
and  spear  to  cast  off  the  yoke  of  Rome  and  establish  a  temporal 


The  Citizen  and  the  State  105 

kingdom.  Any  emphasis,  therefore,  upon  the  duty  of  the 
citizens  to  take  a  part,  however  small,  in  public  affairs  would 
have  served  to  awaken  the  military  spirit  of  selfish  aggi-ession, 
which  he  had  determined,  after  full  consideration,  would  be 
absolutely  contrary  to  his  spirit  of  social  service  which  must 
begin  in  the  hearts  of  individual  citizens. 

It  seems  evident  from  the  account  of  the  temptations 
which  he  had  endured  at  the  time  of  reflection  and  planning 
before  he  entered  upon  his  fife  work,  that  he  had  been  compelled 
to  discuss  with  himself  and  settle  in  advance  this  most  funda- 
mental question  of  the  nature  of  the  new  democracy  of  God 
which  he  was  to  introduce.  He  plainly  recognized  that  any 
open  pohtical  act  would  force  him  into  a  position  of  political 
leadership  which  would  be  absolutely  fatal  to  the  establish- 
ment of  the  true  democracj^  of  God.  In  speaking  of  the  duties 
of  men,  therefore,  he  carefully  avoided  all  reference  to  pubhc 
pohtical  duties,  but  laid  great  emphasis  upon  the  duty  of  the 
individual  to  his  fellow  men. 

There  is  no  reason,  however,  to  beheve  that  pohtical 
activity  in  our  day  is  in  any  sense  contrary  to  the  spirit  of 
Jesus'  teachings.  Quite  the  reverse  is  true.  If  a  man  is  to 
render  his  complete  duty  to  his  fellows,  it  must  be  not  only  by 
individual  contact  with  those  needing  aid  and  by  rendering 
individual  justice,  but  also  by  bringing  influence  to  bear  upon 
the  forms  of  social  organization  established  in  the  community. 
.  Jesus  clearly  recognized  the  need  of  adaptation  of  method 
to  time  and  place.  It  was  therefore  only  practical  for  him  to 
estabUsh  the  general  principles  of  the  rule  of  God  on  earth  and 
to  leave  to  his  followers  in  succeeding  generations  the  task  of 
applying  these  principles  to  the  circumstances  and  needs  of 
their  times. 

How  far  can  a  preacher  take  an  active  part  in  politics 
without  weakening  his  religious  influence?  Can  a  university 
teacher  of  poHtics,  in  the  long  run,  render  greater  service  to  the 
pubhc  by  becoming  a  leader  in  party  politics  or  by  confining 
his  activities  to  non-partisan  discussion  of  pohtical  principles 
and  party  issues?    Wliy? 

How  far  is  it  wise  for  social  workers  such  as  those  in  social 
settlements  to  engage  in  pohtical  contests?  Give  full  reasons 
with  illustrative  experiences,  if  possible. 


106  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

II. 

The  Authority  and  Obligations  op  Rulers. 

From  the  accounts  given  in  the  New  Testament  of  the 
efforts  made  by  his  enemies  to  entice  Jesus  into  condemnation 
of  the  local  government  authorities  and  repudiation  of  his 
obligations  to  them,  we  can  see  how  practically  wise  as  well  as 
pohtically  sound  were  these  principles  that  he  had  adopted. 
We  have  perhaps  nowhere  else  in  history  a  wiser  or  shrewder 
evasion  of  a  difficult  trap,  combined  with  a  direct  statement  of 
a  citizen's  obligations,  than  in  his  reply  to  the  Pharisees  and 
certain  of  Herod's  supporters,  who  attempted  to  ensnare  him 
into  a  repudiation  of  taxes.  *'Is  it  right  to  pay  taxes  to  Caesar 
or  is  it  not?  Shall  we  pay  or  shall  we  not  pay?"  Seeing  their 
trick  Jesus  rephed,  ^'WTiy  do  you  try  to  entrap  me?  Bring  me 
a  coin  and  let  me  see  it."  Then  showing  them  the  image  and 
inscription  on  the  coin  he  inquired,  ^' Whose  image  and  inscrip- 
tion are  these?"  When  they  repHed  "Caesar's,"  it  gave  him 
his  opportunity:  "Give  to  Caesar  what  belongs  to  Caesar," 
and  then  he  continued  with  his  ethical  and  religious  lesson, 
"and  to  God  what  belongs  to  God." 

Titian's  marvellous  picture  of  Jesus  in  this  discussion  over 
taxes  brings  out  more  clearly  than  is  found  elsewhere  in  the 
history  of  art  Jesus'  intellectual  keenness  and  practical  wisdom. 

The  real  nature,  however,  of  the  obligation  of  rulers  in 
the  exercise  of  their  authority  he  emphasized  strongly  in  the 
statement,  which  is  backed  up  so  well  by  his  Hfelong  example, 
"Whoever  wishes  to  be  great  among  you  shall  serve  you,  and 
whoever  wishes  to  be  first  among  you  shall  be  of  service  to  all." 
There  has  never  been  any  better  statement  than  this  of  what 
has  become  at  the  present  time  the  shibboleth  of  democratic 
government:  service  to  the  people.  Present  poUtical  rulers 
often  speak  of  themselves  as  servants  of  the  people  with  more 
or  less  of  a  hypocritical  note  in  their  accents.  They  hope  to 
hoodwink  the  people  by  apparently  bowing  to  the  dominating 
influence  that  the  teachings  of  Jesus  have  attained  in  the  estab- 
lishment of  democratic  governments,  while  in  reality  serving 
their  own  selfish  ends.  They  must  conceal  their  real,  selfish 
purposes  under  the  guise  of  pubhc  service. 

Why  are  not  the  great  masses  of  our  people  really  more 


The  Citizen  and  the  State  107 

competent  to  decide  a  complex  political  problem,  like  a  tax 
or  banking  law,  than  are  the  members  of  Congress,  who  get 
the  aid  of  scientific  experts?  What  are  the  weak  and  the  strong 
points  of  the  referendmn  in  law  making?  Ought  the  people  to 
rule  directly  or  through  chosen  representatives?    Why? 

III. 

Ethical  Standards  of  Government. 

One  of  the  most  difficult  questions  that  all  teachers  of 
ethics  and  religion  have  had  to  meet  from  the  beginning  of 
human  history  is  the  formation  of  ethical  standards.  What  is 
right?  What  is  wrong?  In  all  of  the  compHcated  affairs  of 
life,  no  questions  are  more  difficult  to  answer.  It  is  easy  to  say 
that  to  do  God's  will  is  right,  to  violate  God's  teachings  is 
wrong,  but  in  the  application  of  these  principles  to  the  compli- 
cated affairs  of  life,  many  difficulties  arise.  What  is  God^s 
will  in  a  specific  case? 

The  old  Jewish  commandments  that  have  formed  the 
basis  of  ethical  judgments  in  many  countries  are  sometimes 
contradictory  when  it  comes  to  their  practical  appHcation. 
"Thou  shalt  not  steal,"  is  a  definite  command,  but  occasions 
sometimes  arise,  when  if  the  government  or  even  private 
individuals  do  not  take  property  that  legally  belongs  to  others, 
they  leave  individuals  or  communities  to  die  of  cold  or  starva- 
tion, and  to  do  so  is  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  command, 
"Thou  shalt  not  kiU."  Often  under  the  trying  emergencies  of 
the  late  war,  when  whole  communities  were  starving  and 
children  were  dying  hke  flies,  the  only  possible  remedy  for  the 
evil  lay  in  the  taking  of  property  of  others  without  their  consent. 
Extremists  in  Uteral  interpretation  believe  that  the  injunction 
"Thou  shalt  not  kill"  is  violated  even  when,  under  the  authority 
of  the  state,  the  life  of  a  criminal  is  taken,  in  order  to  protect 
society. 

The  application  of  the  injunction,  "  Thou  shalt  not  commit 
adultery"  must  vary  greatly  in  countries  where  monogamy  is 
practised  as  compared  with  countries  where  pplygamy  is  legal, 
because  legalized  polygamy  is  not  adultery  in  law  even  though 
it  is  in  spirit.  So  it  is  in  the  practical  application  of  many  laws 
and  ethical  teachings.  Is  there  any  way  by  which  we  can  deter- 
mine under  the  varying  conditions  what  is  the  absolute  stand- 
ard of  right? 


108  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

Better  than  anywhere  else,  perhaps,  we  find  the  standard 
fixed  by  Jesus  in  his  method  of  interpreting  the  ancient  Jewish 
laws  and  in  his  principles  of  Hving  as  shown  throughout  his  life. 
That  which  on  the  whole  benefits  humanity  is  right;  that  which 
injures  the  community  is  wrong.  We  find  this  standard  worked 
out  specifically  in  his  interpretation  of  the  Hebraic  law  regard- 
ing the  keeping  of  the  Sabbath  and  in  his  defence  of  David 
for  meeting  his  necessities  and  those  of  his  followers  by  eating 
the  showbread  that  had  been  reserved  for  the  sole  use  of  the 
priests.  Throughout  his  life  everywhere  the  one  principle  that 
above  all  others  he  placed  in  the  foreground  as  the  test  of 
service  to  God  and  of  the  fulfillment  of  God's  will  is  service  to 
one's  fellow  men.  This  is  Jesus'  ethical  standard  of  govern- 
mental as  well  as  of  individual  action.  The  Prussian  doctrine 
that  the  individual  exists  for  the  state  is  exactly  reversed  in 
Jesus'  conception  of  the  democracy  of  God.  The  state  exists 
for  the  good  of  the  citizens;  and  the  citizen's  obHgation  to  the 
government  arises  because  the  government  is  the  agent  or 
committee  of  the  citizens  to  promote  their  own  welfare.  The 
state  is  all  of  us  organized  poUtically  to  promote  our  own 
welfare  through  our  government  made  up  of  our  officials,  who 
are  our  agents. 

Show  that  kings  hold  their  positions  by  the  will  of  their 
subjects.  Under  what  conditions  may  a  kingdom  ever  be  a 
better  form  of  government  than  a  repubHc? 

What  did  Proudhon  mean  when  he  said,  "Property  is 
theft"?    Just  why  is  private  property  right?  ^ 

Define  theft.  Distinguish  between  justifiable  killing, 
manslaughter,  murder. 

Under  what  conditions,  if  ever,  are  the  acts  legally  defined 
as  theft,  adultery,  murder,  morally  right?  Distinguish  clearly 
between  God's  law  and  man's  law;  between  sin  and  crime. 


IV. 

The  Doctrine  of  Non-Resentment. 
The  spirit  of  devotion  to  the  welfare  of  the  community 
is  the  key  to  the  interpretation  of  many  of  the  statements  of 
Jesus  which  have  often  puzzled  good  men  to  whom  his  teachings 


The  Citizen  and  the  State  109 

have  seemed  impracticable.  The  command,  "  Do  not  resent  an 
injury,  but  to  him  who  strikes  you  on  the  right  cheek  turn  the 
other  also,"  has  seemed  most  unwise  as  a  principle  of  general 
application.  So  also  the  assertion,  ''Give  to  him  who  asks  of 
you  and  turn  away  from  no  one  who  wishes  to  borrow  from 
you,"  has  seemed  Ukewise  impossible.  Viewed,  however,  in 
.  the  Hght  of  social  welfare  and  of  the  training  of  the  individual, 
these  commands  are  not  so  difficult. 

.  As  the  practical  means  of  keeping  one's  own  spirit  calm 
and  the  master  of  circumstances,  it  is  always  unwise  to  lose 
one's  temper  or  permit  it  to  become  uncontrollable.  The 
injunction  does  not  mean  that  one  should  not  protect  himself 
against  aggression  which  would  be  harmful  to  the  conmiunity; 
it  means  that  one  should  in  a  reasonable  spirit,  without  resent- 
ment, measure  the  significance  of  an  angry  blow  and  deal  with 
it  accordingly.  The  spirit  of  revenge  is  to  be  overcome.  It 
may  very  well  be,  in  fact  as  a  matter  of  experience  frequently, 
if  not  usually,  that  the  best  way  to  quiet  anger  is  not  to  be 
angry  in  return,  but  to  meet  anger  with  cool  self-control  and 
to  remove  the  anger  by  removing  any  possible  cause  for  it. 

The  interpretation  in  the  same  spirit  of  the  injunction, 
''Give  hberally  and  loan  freely,"  shows  the  wisdom  of  the  advice 
under  many  circumstances.  One  of  the  chief  advantages,  for 
example,  that  has  been  claimed  for  the  new  federal  reserve 
law  in  our  monetary  system  is  that  it  provides  a  means  for 
extending  credit  in  times  of  crisis  much  more  liberally  than 
would  otherwise  be  safe.  Likewise  in  the  extending  of  credit 
or  giving  of  charity  in  private  cases,  the  man  who  gives  skimp- 
ingly  under  the  pressure  of  pubUc  opinion  neither  benefits 
himself  nor  meets  the  spiritual  need  of  the  recipient.  He  retains 
his  own  stingy  spirit  and  humihates  unnecessarily  and  imwisely 
the  one  to  whom  he  gives;  whereas,  the  man  who  gives  whole- 
heartedly in  time  of  need  not  only  gets  the  happiness  of  the 
truly  generous,  but  awakens  in  the  mind  of  the  recipient  a 
feehng  of  gratitude  that  is  beneficial  both  to  him  and  to 
the  community.  The  only  rational  method  of  interpreting 
special  statements  is  to  note  the  circumstances  under  which 
they  were  uttered  and  to  explain  them  in  accordance  with  the 
spirit  of  all  of  Jesus'  teachings. 

The  chief  passage  on  which  has  been  based  the  so-called 
doctrine  of  non-resistance  is  the  sentence  just  quoted,  *'Do  not 


no  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

resent  an  injury,"  and  perhaps  the  best  illustration  in  the  New 
Testament  of  the  true  spirit  of  charity  is  the  parable  of  the 
good  Samaritan.  Jesus,  himself,  as  we  know,  condemned  in 
unmeasured  terms  the  hypocrisy,  the  stinginess,  and  the  cruelty 
of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees.  Can  there  likewise  be  any  doubt 
as  to  the  true  spirit  of  the  good  Samaritan  regarding  the  show- 
ing of  mercy?  If  we  may  imagine  that  the  good  Samaritan  had 
appeared  on  the  road  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho  a  few  minutes 
earher  when  the  struggle  was  still  going  on  between  the  robbers 
and  their  victim,  can  we  beheve  that  he  would  have  stood 
idly  by  without  resenting  or  resisting  the  acts  of  the  robbers? 
We  may  imagine  that  the  priest  would  have  excused  himself 
by  saying  that  it  was  not  becoming  for  one  of  his  profession  to 
mingle  in  a  public  brawl  and  that  he  would  have  passed  by 
on  the  other  side.  So  with  the  selfish  Levite.  But  the  good 
Samaritan!  In  an  instant  he  would  have  been  in  the  midst  of 
the  fight  giving  blows  in  return  for  those  suffered,  defending 
the  victim  against  the  robbers;  and  even  if  he  too  had  been 
overcome  and  left  beaten,  half  dead,  by  the  wayside  with  his 
fellow,  we  can  imagine  that  his  loyal  pubhc  spirit  would  not 
have  permitted  him  to  regret  his  acts.  Rather  would  he  have 
regretted  only  his  failure  to  reheve  his  fellow  sufferer;  and  these 
two,  in  the  fellowship  of  common  suffering  and  of  a  common 
nobility  of  spirit,  would  not  have  repented  of  their  resistance. 
They  would  have  regretted  only  that  their  resistance  had  not 
been  successful,  and  would  have  rejoiced  that  the  evil  was  no 
greater.  And  their  feelings  would  not  have  been  contrary  to  the 
spirit  of  Jesus'  teachings. 

Distinguish  between  resistance  to  a  law  and  treason.  What 
do  you  understand  by  righteous  indignation?  Explain  how  a 
man  is  justified  —  if  he  is  —  in  obeying  or  in  disobeying  a  law 
of  the  state  which  he  thinks  unwise,  as  a  bad  tax  law,  or 
wrong,  as  the  fugitive  slave  act. 


V. 

The  Obligations  of  State  to  State. 
There  has  been  much  blind  abstract  reasoning  regarding 
the  doctrine  of  sovereignty  in  the  state  and  regarding  the  nature 
of  the  state.    If  we  attempt  to  look  at  these  questions  simply 


The  Citizen  and  the  State  111 

and  directly,  in  the  light  of  our  everyday  experience,  we  shall 
see  the  spirit  of  social  and  political  organization  as  it  was 
interpreted  by  Jesus. 

We  must  consider  the  state  as  simply  all  of  us  organized 
primarily  for  the  business  of  government.  In  the  organization 
of  all  of  us  we  have  agreed  by  some  means  upon  a  committee 
to  carry  out  our  joint  will.  This  committee  we  call  our  govern- 
ment. The  act  of  the  state  accordingly  is  the  expression  of  the 
will  of  the  citizens  of  the  state,  our  will;  and  this  will  can  be 
expressed  in  no  other  way  than  through  the  government.  We 
must  recognize  the  fact  that  masses  of  men,  even  when  well 
organized,  can  act  only  slowly.  It  may  be  that  for  the  time 
being  our  committee  men,  who  are  our  chosen  representatives 
in  government,  will  misrepresent  our  views,  and  we  must  get 
along  until  we  can  choose  their  successors  before  our  will 
can  be  fully  expressed.  In  the  end,  however,  if  our  state 
is  really  an  organization  of  the  type  that  Jesus  had  in  mind 
when  he  was  planning  a  democracy  of  God,  it  is  certain  that 
the  standard  of  political  morality  and  the  standard  of  social 
morality  of  any  state  will  accord  with  the  pohtical  and  social 
morahty  of  the  mass  of  individuals  of  which  it  is  composed. 

The  autocratic  idea  of  the  state  differs  materially  from 
the  Christian  idea  of  the  state  as  represented  in  the  spirit 
of  the  teachings  of  Jesus.  In  the  autocracy  a  few  men  do 
the  thinking  and  the  planning  for  the  entire  community,  while 
the  masses  under  their  direction  carry  out  the  will  of  these  few. 
This  plan  from  certain  points  of  view  has  its  advantages.  In  this 
way  promptness  of  action  is  assured  so  long  as  the  masses  are 
obedient.  In  many  cases  greater  efficiency  of  action  is  secured 
within  a  brief  period  of  time  than  would  be  possible  in  any 
democracy. 

The  result  of  the  Great  War,  however,  shows  that  in  the 
end  where  principles  of  right  are  at  stake,  when  time  has  been 
taken  for  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  individual  citizens  to  be 
aroused  and  for  their  wills  to  reach  a  decision,  the  efficiency  of 
democracy  is  far  greater  than  the  more  mechanical  efficiency 
of  autocracy. 

With  this  conception  of  the  state,  we  may  see  that  in  the 
light  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus  the  obligation  of  state  to  state 
should  be  substantially  that  of  individual  to  individual.  That 
would  be  the  natural  and  inevitable  meaning  of  carrying  the 


112  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

principles  of  Jesus  into  that  realm.  The  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity is  the  criterion  of  judgment  of  right  and  wrong  for  the 
individual.  The  welfare  first  of  the  individual  citizens  should 
be  the  criterion  of  judgment  and  the  goal  of  action  of  the  govern- 
ment of  each  separate  state  in  its  own  internal  affairs.  In 
external  affairs  the  welfare  of  the  nations  at  large,  of  the  world 
as  a  whole,  should  be  the  purpose  of  every  state  and  its  standard 
for  measuring  the  right  and  wrong  of  its  action.  This  does  not 
mean  that  a  state  should  not  protect  its  own  rights.  Indeed,  it 
cannot  well  promote  the  welfare  of  humanity  if  it  does  not 
maintain  its  own  rights  and  strength.  But  the  welfare  of  all 
nations  is  the  chief  basis  of  international  action  for  determining 
questions  of  peace  and  war.  No  one  can  exaggerate  the  horrors 
of  war.  And  yet,  looking  ahead  to  the  distant  future  and 
considering  the  welfare  of  not  any  one  nation  but  of  the  world  at 
large,  we  may  easily  see  that  a  war  that  is  not  one  of  aggression, 
but  one  fought  to  uphold  the  principles  of  justice,  to  overthrow 
autocracy  and  to  bring  other  nations  of  the  world  into  the 
commonwealth  of  God,  may  be  a  war  conducted  absolutely  in 
the  spirit  of  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

In  what  way  is  the  interest  of  the  United  States  as  a  whole 
promoted  or  lessened  by  the  State  of  New  York  keeping  in  mind 
primarily  its  own  interest  while  considering  always  its  duty  to 
the  nation?  Consider  whether  a  man  of  unusual  business 
ability  serves  the  conMnunity  best  by  giving  away  all  his  prop- 
erty, or  by  conducting  his  business  carefully,  increasing  produc- 
tion and  then  using  a  part  of  his  income  for  building  his  business 
and  part  for  direct  pubHc  service. 

How  far  did  King  Albert  of  Belgium  carry  out  the  prin- 
ciples given  above  in  counseling  resistance  to  Germany's 
demands  at  the  beginning  of  the  World  War? 


VI. 

The  Christian  Program  For  World  Peace. 
Throughout  all  history  there  have  been  advocates  of  a 
world  peace,  and  numerous  have  been  the  plans  for  its  attain- 
ment through  a  league  of  nations.     In  the  days  of  ancient 
Greece  we  find  the  Amphictyonic  Council.    JSven  the  execrated 


The  Citizen  and  the  State  113 

Congress  of  Vienna  thought  that  it  evolved  a  plan  for  a  world 
peace.  The  great  German  philosopher,  Immanuel  Kant, 
formulated  his  plan  for  a  league  to  prevent  wars,  and  numerous 
other  like  attempts  have  been  made. 

During  the  Great  War  men's  minds  had  been  filled  and 
inspired  with  the  hope  that  a  repetition  of  its  horrors  might  be 
prevented  for  all  time.  The  attempt  has  again  been  made  to 
form  a  league  of  nations  to  attain  this  end.  Many  men  with 
hopeful  vision  have  thought  that  the  field  of  a  nation's  activi- 
ties is  too  narrow  for  their  plans  and  that  it  is  now  possible  to 
usher  in  a  regime  of  cosmopolitanism.  Some  men  apparently 
already  feel  that  the  thought  of  citizenship  in  a  state  is  too 
narrow  and  that  one  should  think  of  himself  primarily  as  a 
citizen  of  the  world  state.  Others  think  such  views  are  imprac- 
tical and  even  wrong. 

In  what  way  does  Jesus*  marvellous  insight  into  human 
nature  throw  light  upon  this  question?  What  suggestions  do 
his  principles  of  society  give  for  the  solution  of  this  most 
difficult  problem? 

As  we  have  seen,  the  unit  of  thinking  is  the  individual 
and  the  unit  of  action  in  the  community  is  primarily  the 
individual  man.  As  the  community  is  bettered  by  the  building 
over  of  the  natures  of  the  individuals,  eventually  a  nation 
may  become  a  new  and  better  type  of  nation.  So  likewise  in 
accordance  with  the  spirit  of  Jesus'  teachings  the  great  world 
federation  of  states  must  be  built  up  step  by  step.  As  each 
nation,  through  its  individual  members  expressing  their  will 
through  its  government,  accepts  and  acts  in  the  spirit  of  Jesus 
in  its  effort  to  promote  the  welfare  of  other  nations  and  of  the 
world,  there  gradually  will  be  built  up  associations  of  nations, 
democratic  in  form  and  in  the  spirit  of  the  democracy  of  God. 
As  this  spirit  gradually  transforms  nation  after  nation,  there 
will  slowly  arise  the  world  state  that  will  be  in  reality  the 
democracy  of  God  on  earth. 

When  we  consider  the  character  of  the  acts  of  the  different 
nations  during  the  past  decade,  when  we  consider  the  spirit 
with  which  the  representatives  of  the  governments  of  different 
nations  conducted  themselves  at  the  Peace  Conference,  is 
it  possible  to  hope  that  as  yet  we  have  attained  to  this  best 
world  state?  In  the  light  of  the  same  conclusions,  is  it  too 
much  to  hope  that  there  is  already  in  existence  in  at  least 


114  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

some  of  the  nations  enough  of  the  unselfish  spuit  of  Jesus  to 
enable  them  to  form  a  league  of  nations  that  shall  be  the  begin- 
ning of  this  world  state?  If  we  follow  the  teachings  of  Jesus, 
is  it  as  yet  too  early  for  individuals  to  attempt  to  act  in  a 
cosmopolitan  way?  With  a  vision  of  universal  brotherhood, 
they  must  look  forward  to  an  all-embracing  democracy.  All 
great  social  movements  require  time,  since  they  involve  the 
changing  of  the  minds  and  hearts  and  wills  of  the  many;  but 
gradually  though  slowly,  through  the  growth  of  this  league 
of  democracies  there  will  arise  the  world  state,  a  imiversal 
brotherhood  which  Jesus  characterized  as  the  democracy  of  God. 
It  cannot  be  forgotten,  however,  as  a  principle  both  of 
growth  and  of  permanent  activity,  that  the  democracy  of  God 
is  within  you;  it  is  and  must  forever  remain  in  the  hearts  of 
individual  citizens. 


When  the  United  States  buys  -a  ship  from  Brazil,  what 
individuals  act?  What  does  each  one  do?  How  much  personal 
discretion  does  he  exercise?  In  how  far  is  this  method  in  accord- 
ance with  Jesus'  methods?  Which  official  affects  most  your 
personal  interests,  the  tax  assessor,  the  governor  of  your  state, 
or  the  Secretary  of  Stat^  of  the  United  States? 

Subjects  for  Further  Study. 

(1)  Compare  the  views  of  Aristotle  regarding  private  property  with 
those  of  Proudhon. 

(2)  Examine  carefully  the  New  Testament  teachings  regarding  duties 
of  rulers  and  duties  to  rulers. 

(3)  Compare  the  political  power  of  the  President  of  the  United  States 
with  that  of  the  Prime  Minister  of  Great  Britain. 

(4)  Compare  the  Paris  Conference's  draft  of  the  League  of  Nations 
with  Immanuel  Kant's  Plan  for  Perpetual  Peace;  with  the  plans  of  the 
Congress  of  Vienna. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  RULE  OF  GOD. 

Parallel  Readings. 

Kent,  The  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,  pp.  267-280. 
Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  313-355. 
Follett,  The  New  State,  pp.  258-295. 


Tbde  Rule  of  God  115 

Asked  by  the  Pharisees  when  the  rule  of  God  would  come,  Jesus 
answered,  "The  rule  of  God  will  not  come  in  visible  form,  nor  will  people 
say,  'Look,  it  is  here,'  or,  *It  is  there';  for  the  rule  of  God  is  within  you." 
Luke  17:  20,  21. 

To  his  disciples  he  gave  this  illustration:  "The  rule  of  Heaven  is  like 
a  grain  of  mustard-seed  which  a  man  sows  in  his  field.  It  is  the  smallest 
of  all  seeds,  yet  it  grows  up  to  be  the  largest  of  plants  and  becomes  a  tree, 
so  that  the  wild  birds  come  and  perch  on  its  branches."  —  Matt.  13: 31,  32. 

And  again  he  said,  "To  what  shall  I  liken  the  rule  of  God?  It  is  like 
yeast  which  a  woman  took  and  hid  in  three  pecks  of  flour  until  the  whole 
had  risen."  Matt.  13:  S3. 

He  said  also,  "It  is  with  the  rule  of  God  as  with  a  man  who  sows  seed 
in  the  ground,  and  sleeps  by  night  and  rises  by  day,  while  the  seed  sprouts 
and  grows  up,  he  knows  not  how.  The  ground  bears  crops  of  itself,  first  a 
blade,  then  an  ear,  then  full  grain  in  the  ear."  Mark  4:  26-28.  (Shorter 
Bible  translation.) 

I. 

Current  Jewish  Ideas  of  the  Rule  of  God. 

Among  all  the  nations  of  antiquity  the  Hebrews  were  the 
first  to  develop  a  thoroughly  democratic  theory  of  government. 
From  the  days  when  their  forefathers  broke  away  from  the 
grinding  political  and  industrial  despotism  of  Egypt,  their 
history  was  one  long  struggle  to  maintain  'Hhe  rule  of  the 
people,  by  the  people,  for  the  people." 

Against  foreign  invaders  and  conquerors  and  against  their 
own  tyrannically  minded  rulers,  such  as  Solomon  and  Ahab, 
they  stubbornly  asserted  their  convictions,  with  the  result  that 
they  built  up  a  commonwealth  which  was  not  a  kingdom  but 
in  every  vital  respect  a  democracy.  The  words  translated  in 
our  King  James  version  of  the  Bible,  "King"  and  "Kingdom," 
come  from  a  root  meaning  to  counsel.  In  original  meaning  and 
as  defined  in  the  history  of  the  Hebrew  commonwealth,  these 
current  translations  are  im justified  and  misleading.  "Democ- 
racy" is  a  far  more  exact  modern  equivalent  of  the  Hebrew 
and  Aramaic  words  which  we  have  hitherto  unthinkingly 
translated  "Kingdom."  All  the  ardent  hopes  that  in  the  minds 
of  Jesus'  contemporaries  gathered  about  the  popular  slogan, 
the  rule  or  democracy  of  God,  were  a  protest  against  the 
prevailing  despotism.  It  was  a  term  redolent  with  memories 
of  struggle  and  self-sacrificing  devotion.  In  Jewish  circles  it 
still  had  unlimited  power  to  arouse  the  passions  of  resentment 
and  hate,  of  loyalty  and  self-sacrifice.  It  was  at  the  same  time 
a  protest,  an  ideal  and  a  social  program.   But  the  meaning  was 


116  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

not  the  same  to  all.  In  the  diverse  groups  in  Judaism  it  had 
very  different  meanings. 

To  the  hot-headed  Zealots  from  whose  ranks  Jesus  enlisted 
one  of  his  followers,  it  represented  their  hopes  of  the  re-establish- 
ment of  a  Jewish  state  akin  to  that  founded  by  David  at 
Jerusalem  in  the  early  days.  It  meant  the  overthrow  of  the 
autocratic  Roman  Empire,  the  subjugation  of  the  heathen,  and 
the  rule  of  mankind  by  the  Jewish  race.  This  interpretation 
was  not  only  material  and  narrowly  nationaUstic,  but  it  imper- 
illed the  very  existence  of  the  Jewish  nation,  as  the  tragic  events 
of  68  to  70  A.D.  demonstrated;  for  then  the  Zealots  gained  the 
ascendancy,  and  as  a  result  the  Jewish  state  went  down 
in  ruin. 

To  the  educated  Pharisees  and  the  majority  of  the  Jews 
of  Palestine  who  followed  their  religious  leadership,  the  rule 
of  God  was  interpreted  more  spiritually.  It  was  to  be  instituted 
not  by  fire  and  the  sword  but  by  miraculous  means.  As  pre- 
dicted in  Daniel  2:  44,  the  God  of  heaven  was  expected  to 
destroy  the  heathen  kingdoms  and  to  estabUsh  on  an  enduring 
basis  the  universal  rule  of  his  chosen  people.  They  believed 
that  the  pious  dead  would  rise  again  to  hfe,  to  join  with  the 
righteous  on  earth  in  an  era  of  peace  and  good  will.  Signs  and 
portents  in  the  heavens  were  to  herald  the  beginning  of  this 
new  age.  The  promised  Messianic  ruler  was  to  be  suddenly 
revealed  and  establish  his  rule  throughout  the  world. 

The  picture  of  God's  just  and  merciful  rule  presented  in 
certain  of  the  Psahns  (2-9,  29,  47,  95-100),  in  which  he  alone 
was  exalted  and  in  which  all  nations  freely  shared,  was  almost 
forgotten  by  Jesus'  contemporaries.  Forgotten  also,  except 
by  certain  inspired  prophets  like  Hillel  and  John  the  Baptist, 
were  the  teachings  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  and  the  great  prophet 
who  wrote  Isaiah  40-55,  that  the  divine  purpose  in  human 
history  could  be  realized  only  by  the  patient,  self-sacrificing 
co-operation  of  his  people;  that  justice  and  mercy  were  the  only 
foimdation  on  which  an  enduring  social  order  could  be  founded; 
and  that  it  was  more  important  and  more  glorious  to  serve 
than  to  rule.  Like  the  Germans  before  the  Great  War,  impelled 
by  their  iridescent  dream  of  Pan-Germanism,  the  vast  majority 
of  the  Jews  of  the  first  Christian  century  were  following  a 
will-o'-the-wisp  which  was  leading  them  far  from  the  path  of 
duty  and  of  progress. 


The  Rule  of  God  117 

How  did  the  aspirations  of  the  majority  of  the  Jews  in 
Jesus'  day  differ  from  those  of  the  Pan-Germanists  in  1913? 
How  do  you  explain  the  growth  of  such  unethical  and  selfish 
national  aspirations?  Why  is  national  self-seeking  more 
insidious  and  deadly  than  individual  selfishness?  What  form 
does  this  peril  take  in  America? 


n. 

Jesus'  Interpretation  of  the  Rule  of  God. 

From  earliest  youth  Jesus  had  been  familiar  with  the 
popular  hopes  of  his  race.  In  the  book  of  Daniel  and  the  latter 
part  of  Zechariah  he  found  them  incorporated  in  the  sacred 
writings.  The  atmosphere  of  Palestine  was  so  surcharged  with 
them  that  they  have  found  a  place  even  in  the  later  records 
of  his  teachings.  What  was  his  interpretation  of  the  kinetic 
phrase,  rule  or  democracy  of  God?  Widely  different  have  been 
the  modern  answers  to  this  vital  question.  The  brilhant 
French  savant,  Renan,  saw  in  Jesus  simply  the  devoted  fanatic 
enraptured  and  lured  on  to  his  ruin  by  these  impracticable 
dreams.  Conservative  interpreters,  who  ignore  the  historical 
analyses  of  the  gospel  records,  find  in  him  a  remarkable  com- 
bination of  the  apocalyptic  dreamer  and  the  practical  social 
and  spiritual  teacher.  The  critical  historical  student  is  intro- 
duced in  the  oldest  gospel  records  to  a  practical  rehgious  leader 
and  organizer,  who  stood  squarely  on  the  reahties  of  life  and 
spent  hjs  short  years  and  his  life-blood  in  silently  combating 
the  wrong  popular  interpretations  of  the  prophetic  ideal  of  the 
rule  of  God  by  giving  to  it  a  deeper  ethical,  social  and  spiritual 
meaning.  He  too  divested  it  of  all  its  narrow  nationalistic 
associations  and  made  it  a  working  program  for  every  individual 
and  therefore  for  the  human  race. 

Nowhere  does  Jesus  attempt  to  define  the  rule  of  God. 
The  naeaning  and  historic  associations  of  the  pregnant  phrase 
proclaimed  to  every  thoughtful  Jew  its  essential  democracy. 
Jesus  did,  however,  by  a  large  number  of  illustrations  and 
comparisons,  make  clear  its  real  character,  and  this  method 
was  far  more  effective  than  abstract  definition.  Its  democracy 
he  illustrated  by  the  story  of  the  man  who  invited  to  his  feast 
not  only  the  rich  and  cultured,  but  also  the  poor,  the  crippled, 
the  blind,  the  lame,  and  even  the  homeless  outcasts  that  could 


118  Jesus'  Principles"  op  Living 

be  gathered  along  any  oriental  highway  (Luke  14:  la,  15b-24). 
Thus  with  one  sweeping  statement  he  freed  the  old  prophetic 
ideal  from  all  the  race  and  class  prejudice  and  privilege  that 
had  gathered  about  it,  and  threw  wide  open  the  door  to  every 
human  being  of  every  race  and  faith. 

In  the  same  incisive  way  he  cleansed  the  ideal  of  the  gross 
materiahsm  that  had  almost  wholly  obscured  its  real  character. 
In  answer  to  a  question  asked  by  a  Pharisee  which  betrayed  his 
material  and  temporal  conception  of  it,  Jesus  declared  in 
clearest  terms:  "The  rule  of  God  will  not  come  in  visible  form, 
nor  will  people  say,  'Look,  it  is  here,'  or,  'It  is  there,'  for  the 
rule  of  God  is  within  you."  Thus  the  spectacular  Pharisaic 
expectations  of  a  final  trumpet  blast,  of  divided  heavens,  of 
falling  stars  and  of  the  bodies  of  the  dead  rising  from  the  opened 
graves  were  flung  aside  by  this  clear-eyed  Son  of  Reality.  In 
imagination  one  can  hear  the  gasp  of  the  questioning  Pharisee. 
Gone  iare  all  the  dramatic  trappings  with  which  he  had  decked 
and  in  the  end  concealed  this  divine  plan.  In  the  searchlight 
of  Jesus'  interpretation  it  stood  forth  in  its  practical  simplicity. 
He  taught  that  the  rule  of  God  is  established  here  and  now  in 
the  heart  of  every  man  who  recognizes  God's  good  purpose 
working  out  in  all  creation  and  who  is  ready  to  co-operate  with 
his  divine  Friend  and  Father  in  perfecting  that  purpose  in  his 
own  soul,  in  his  family,  in  his  community,  and  in  the  Hfe  of 
humanity. 

How  far  is  Jesus'  teaching  regarding  what  is  popularly 
called  the  *' Kingdom  of  God"  clearly  understood  by  the 
average  Christian  to-day?  By  those  outside  the  church? 
What  are  the  reasons  for  the  prevaiUng  vagueness?  To  what 
extent  is  the  tendency  to  extemahze  and  materiaUze  the  rule 
of  God  still  at  work  to-day?  How  does  the  meaning  of  "Thy 
will  be  done"  in  the  Lord's  prayer  differ  from  that  of/' Thy 
rule  come?" 

in. 

The  Growth  of  the  Rule  op  God. 

It  has  already  been  noted  that  Jesus  placed  emphasis  upon 

the  individual,  his  originahty,  his  worth,  his  power  to  exercise 

influence  over  others.    In  the  parable  of  the  mustard  seeds  and 

of  the  leaven  we  find  clearly  depicted  the  method  by  which 


The  Rule  of  God  119 

Jesus  expected  this  rule  to  be  extended.  He  himself  was  infused 
with  the  spirit  of  God.  He  associated  with  himself  his  twelve 
interested  followers,  believing  that  they  through  him  would  be 
imbued  with  the  same  thought  and  the  same  spirit.  Each  of 
them  in  turn  would  come  into  contact  with  other  individuals 
and  fill  them  with  the  same  thought  and  same  spirit.  Thus  by 
individual  touch  the  thoughts  and  the  spirit  of  God  would 
gradually,  Httle  by  httle,  spread  throughout  the  world  until 
the  entire  world  would  be  filled.  The  parable  of  the  leavened 
bread  in  which  the  particles  of  yeast  have  each  gradually 
inoculated  the  others  until  the  whole  has  been  leavened  is 
perhaps  the  most  accurate  illustration  of  Jesus'  process^  of 
social  reform.  ;  ~ 

In  ancient  Greece,  Socrates  had  much  the  same  plan. 
He  spent  his  time  in  the  market  place  giving  forth  his  ideas  by 
precept,  and  by  his  keen  questioning  arousing  in  the  minds, 
especially  of  the  young  men,  the  ambition  to  think  for  them- 
selves and  to  work  out  the  problems  of  life.  Each  one  of  them 
Socrates  felt  would  become  a  center  of  activity  for  the  enhghten- 
ment  of  the  people.  ^ 

Jesus'  method  of  leaving  his  followers  to  apply  the  teaching 
left  them  free  to  adopt  any  form  of  social  action  which  does  not 
violate  his  principles.  Of  course,  the  methods  of  spreading 
ideas  and  of  exerting  influence  upon  others  will  change  with 
the  times.  In  the  ancient  days  there  was,  relatively  speaking, 
little  traveling  of  individuals  from  place  to  place.  In  conse- 
quence, the  spreading  of  ideas  was  much  less  rapid  than  now; 
but  even  then  Jesus  sent  his  disciples  throughout  the  neighbor- 
ing country  in  order  that  his  ideas  might  be  more  rapidly 
spread  abroad;  and  his  chief  missionary  follower,  Paul,  under- 
took great  journeys  throughout  a  large  part  of  the  Roman 
world  in  order  that  all  parts  might  learn  the  good  news. 

The  cultivation  of  public  opinion  by  sermons  and  discus- 
sions can  be  more  thoroughly  and  rapidly  followed  up  at  the 
present  time  through  the  press,  through  the  use  of  moving 
pictures,  and  through  all  the  other  methods  of  propaganda, 
direct  and  indirect,  that  were  carefuljy  worked  out  by  the 
different  governments  at  the  time  of  the  Great  War. 

We  think  of  education  primarily  in  connection  with  the 
schools,  and  of  course  it  is  true  that  the  best  time  for  inculcating, 
especially  moral  lessons  and  noble  practices  of  life,  is  when 


120  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

people  are  young.  The  lessons  can  then  be  more  thoroughly 
taught  and  children's  minds  are  much  less  distracted  by  com- 
peting interests. 

At  the  present  time,  however,  the  plans  and  the  practice 
of  education  are  by  no  means  limited  to  children.  Every 
pohtical  campaign,  every  great  social  movement  is  an  educa- 
tional process,  and  the  growth  of  the  democracy  of  God  hkewise 
must  be  through  such  an  educational  process.  Inasmuch  as 
the  spirit  of  Jesus  fills  one  with  the  desire  of  communicating 
the  glad  tidings  to  others  in  order  that  they  also  may  be  bene- 
fited, each  one  who  is  truly  Christian  will  feel  the  responsibiUty 
of  undertaking  to  spread  the  good  news  by  every  means  within 
his  power.  The  responsibiUty  does  not  differ  with  a  man's 
trade  or  profession.  Only  the  methods  of  approach  will  differ. 
The  responsibility  rests  upon  the  merchant,  the  farmer,  the 
railroad  man,  as  much  as  upon  the  preacher,  the  teacher,  and 
the  editor.  ,  It  is  a  question  of  employing  to  the  best  advantage 
the  means  that  are  in  one's  possession  to  secure  the  rapid 
growth  of  the  democracy  of  God. 

How  can  a  shoemaker  or  a  blacksmith  preach  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  to  his  customers  to  the  utmost  of  his  abiUty?  What 
effect  has  the  printing  press  had  on  the  power  of  personal 
appeal?  What  at  present  is  the  personal  influence  of  the  sales- 
man or  of  the  orator  or  of  the  business  organizer? 


IV. 

Conditions  of  Participation  in  the  Rule  op  God. 

Every  association  consisting  of  members  has  certain 
conditions  for  admission  to  membership.  Even  an  all-inclusive 
organization  hke  the  state  has  such  conditions.  A  man  must 
be  born  within  the  territory,  or  after  a  period  of  residence  he 
must  pass  certain  examinations  or  give  proof  of  the  possession 
of  certain  quahfications  before  he  is  adinitted  to  participate  in 
the  privileges  of  citizenship  or  is  held  responsible  for  its  duties. 
For  most  associations  having  a  specific  purpose,  whether  the 
purpose  be  pleasure  or  protection  or  profit  or  rehgion,  people 
are  required  to  make  declaration  of  their  behef  and  to  under- 
take certain  responsibiUties  before  they  are  admitted.  Jesus, 


The  Rule  of  God  121 

likewise,  in  undertaking  the  conquest  of  the  world  by  the 
spreading  of  his  ideas  doubtless  contemplated  the  organization 
of  a  great  society  made  up  of  his  followers.  BeUeving  as  he 
did  in  the  overwhehning  power  of  ideas  as  affecting  character, 
he  placed  emphasis  upon  a  change  of  heart,  a  regeneration 
through  beliefs,  and  laid  little  stress  upon  the  form  of  organiza- 
tion. 

The  elaborate  constitution  of  our  religious  organizations, 
our  churches,  and  the  later  developments  brought  about  through 
the  advantages  of  organization  to  accomplish  results,  have  been 
attended  with  the  same  dangers  that  accompany  all  organiza- 
tions for  specific  purposes,  such  as  political  parties  or  temperance 
societies  or  co-operative  insurance  companies  or  trade  unions. 
There  is  always  a  danger  that  the  organization  will  be  diverted 
from  being  a  means  to  promote  certain  ideas  into  becoming  an 
end  in  itself.  The  leaders,  holding  positions  of  influence  and 
often  of  profit,  naturally  wish  to  retain  their  control.  Often, 
too,  strong  individuals  having  certain  views  of  their  own  will 
graft  their  personal  views  upon  the  fundamental  principles 
for  which  the  organization  was  made,  and  in  consequence  the 
whole  organization  will  be  shunted  on  to  new  lines.  The 
Republican  party  and  the  Democratic  party  in  our  own  country 
have  both  retained  their  organization  even  when  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  their  platforms  have  been  modified,  or  at 
times  even  reversed.  So  likewise  in  the  churches  we  find  that 
certain  denominations  have  emphasized  forms  of  baptism  or  of 
other  cherished  ordinances,  or  have  placed  supreme  stress  upon 
a  hierarchical  organization.  These  things  have  sometimes 
diverted  the  individual  members  from  the  real  spirit  with 
which  Jesus  started  the  organization.  His  injunction  was 
simply,  "Follow  me;"  his  thought,  that  each  individual  would 
feel  his  spirit  and  would  devote  himself  unselfishly  in  whatever 
way  seemed  to  him  best  for  the  carrying  out  of  God's  will  in 
human  society.  Naturally  there  is  no  condemnation  for  an 
individual  who  helps  build  an  organization  to  carry  out  Jesus' 
ideas,  but  there  is  always  danger  that  an  organization  will  be 
diverted  from  its  principles,  and  it  is  the  duty  of  its  members 
constantly  to  keep  in  mind  the  principles  for  which  the  organ- 
ization is  built. 

Jesus  laid  down  for  his  disciples  the  conditions  of  absolute 
devotion  to  the  carrying  out  of  his  ideas.   A  man  must  be  ready 


122  Jesus'  Principles  of  Living 

to  abandon  father  and  mother,  wife  and  children,  and  he  must 
make  whatever  sacrifices  of  wealth  or  position  or  even  family- 
duties  that  are  necessary  to  the  more  imperative  duty  of  carry- 
ing out  God's  will.  That  means  he  must  invariably  follow  his 
own  conscience;  he  must  always  do  what  at  the  moment  he 
beUeves  to  be  his  duty.  This  primarily  is  the  condition  of 
participation  in  the  democracy  of  God. 

Just  what  constitutes  a  "  call ''  to  service  of  any  kind? 
In  what  ways  may  we  determine  God's  will  regarding  our  daily 
duties?    Or  regarding  our  Hfe  work? 

Explain  and  illustrate  the  difficulties  of  applying  moral 
principles  to  a  merchant's  business. 


V. 

The  Individual's  Part  in  This  Rule. 

Jesus  looked  upon  the  individual  as  the  basis  of  his  organi- 
ization.  There  are  various  ways  in  which  he  may  play  his  part. 
He  may  work  pubUcly  in  the  special  field  of  religion  as  a 
preacher  of  the  Gospel,  as  a  teacher  in  the  Sunday  school,  or 
as  an  editor  of  a  religious  pubHcation,  or  as  a  public  lecturer  on 
moral  and  religious  topics. 

There  is  no  reason,  however,  for  believing  that  Jesus  laid 
emphasis  upon  the  method  of  work.  The  chief  emphasis  is 
placed  upon  the  spirit  in  which  a  man  works.  All  of  us  have 
individual  gifts.  No  two  are  endowed  alike.  One  man  has  a 
special  faculty  for  building  and  handling  machinery,  whereas 
he  would  make  a  failure  at  public  teaching.  He  may  serve  God 
better  and  do  more  to  promote  the  welfare  of  God's  democracy 
by  building  and  manufacturing  machinery  to  further  the  work 
and  welfare  of  society  than  by  attempting  to  preach.  If  a 
man  conducts  his  business  as  a  banker  absolutely  in  the  spirit 
of  Jesus'  teachings,  he  will  do  much  to  promote  the  health,  the 
welfare  and  the  comfort,  and  to  upHft  the  spirit  of  the  com- 
munity. In  all  probability  he  can  do  more  for  the  welfare 
of  the  community  by  following  his  own  work  most  faith- 
fully and  honestly  than  in  any  other  way.  Likewise  a 
lawyer  in  his  separate  field  can  probably  accomplish  more  for 
society  by  securing  the  righteous  interpretation  of  law  and  the 


The  Rule  of  God  123 

promotion  of  justice  than  by  attempting  to  preach.  We  should 
do  away  with  the  idea  that  any  one  calling  is  sacred.  We  should 
rather  insist  upon  it  that  each  individual  should  make  his  own 
calling  sacred  through  the  spirit  in  which  he  follows  it. 

Do  most  men  choose  deliberately  their  life  work  or  do  they 
drift  into  it?  How  is  it  possible  to  learn  one's  aptitude  for  a 
calling  without  testing  it  by  experience?  Is  it  ever  desirable  to 
change  the  plan  of  one's  life  work?    Under  what  conditions? 

VI. 

The  Rule  of  God  and  the  State. 

A  good  citizen  is  the  man  who  in  his  own  field  of  personal 
activity  devotes  himself  —  all  that  he  has  and  all  that  he  is  — 
to  the  welfare  of  the  community.  We  shall  have  a  true  republic 
in  the  sense  in  which  Jesus  spoke  of  the  democracy  of  God  when 
we  have  all  of  the  thinking  citizens  in  any  community  filled 
with  public  spirit. 

There  has  been  and  still  is  a  belief  on  the  part  of  some  that 
a  change  in  our  economic  organization  is  necessary  *n  order  that 
we  may  attain  the  best  political  organization.  It  is  argued  that 
so  long  as  we  have  a  wage  system  and  some  men  work  in  the 
servibe  of  others  there  can  never  be  a  true  democracy.  To 
attain  this  ideal  it  has  been  proposed  that  the  production  of  all 
wealth  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  government  and  that 
individuals  selected  for  that  purpose  direct  all  of  the  business 
affairs  of  a  community.  Thus  it  is  thought  there  will  be  attained 
likewise  a  better  type  of  pohtical  order.  Such  a  plan  places 
the  great  mass  of  the  individuals  in  a  community  under  the 
absolute  direction  of  a  few  leaders  as  regards  not  only  their 
pohtical  but  also  their  business  activities.  Inasmuch  as  such 
a  process  has  thus  far  in  human  history  resulted  only  in  the 
tyranny  of  the  few  over  the  many,  it  is  the  direct  opposite  of 
the  one  advocated  by  Jesus. 

His  teaching  clearly  impUes  that  if  to  the  individuals 
in  a  community  is  given  the  proper  spirit  of  self-development 
for  the  public  good,  any  form  of  business  organizations  or  any 
form  of  pohtical  organizations  may  exist  and  still  give  us  the 
democracy  of  God. 

If  under  the  wage  system  both  employers  and  wage  earners 


124  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

are  filled  with  the  unselfish  spirit  of  Jesus,  and  the  present 
evils  in  the  wage  system  are  remedied,  we  shall  attain  justice  in 
the  industrial  world  just  as  completely  as  would  be  possible 
under  any  system  of  socialism.  If  on  the  other  hand  in  a 
sociahstic  state  the  rulers  should  not  have  the  unselfish  spirit 
of  Jesus,  there  would  be  an  economic  tyranny  worse  than  any 
existing  under  the  wage  system.  There  is  no  reason  to  beheve, 
as  has  been  often  claimed,  that  a  change  in  the  form  of  poHtical 
organization  would  bring  about  so  great  a  change  in  human 
nature  that  better  results  would  be  attained  by  adopting  such 
a  form  of  government.  In  fact  the  experience  of  humanity 
from  the  days  of  Aristotle  to  date  seems  to  prove  that  in  spite 
of  the  many  evils  that  exist,  the  institution  of  private  property 
and  of  a  form  of  government  working  as  rapidly  as  possible 
toward  a  democracy,  even  with  its  many  (difficulties,  is  the 
surest  way  to  progress  toward  the  real  democracy  of  God,  even 
though  the  progress  is  slow. 

The  nearest  approach  to  a  completely  democratic  organiza- 
tion in  industry  is  found  in  voluntary  co-operative  societies, 
where  all  the  workers  are  stockholders  and  fiu-nish  all  the 
capital.  This  is  not  socialism.  The  state  does  not  own  the 
property,  nor  the  government  manage  it. 

The  democracy  of  God  is  in  no  sense  averse  to  proper 
discipHne.  The  best  discipline  comes  from  the  promulgation 
of  the  spirit  of  service,  so  that  each  individual  gladly  submits 
himself  to  the  direction  of  others  whenever  that  is  necessary 
in  order  to  attain  the  best  results.  A  willing  co-operation  and 
a  glad  subordination  of  one*s  self  to  the  direction  of  others  for 
the  pubHc  good  secures  the  best  discipHne. 

iivery  thoughtful  man  knows  that  great  intelligence 
and  superior  organizing  skill  are  required  for  the  best  type 
of  organization  in  either  business  or  poHtics.  There  i& 
no  reason  for  believing  that  ignorance  added  to  ignorance 
will  produce  wisdom.  The  referendum  of  technical  subjects 
to  a  general  vote  of  the  untrained  masses  can  never  attain 
the  best  results.  On  the  other  hand,  the  cultivation  of  the 
spirit  of  righteousness  and  honesty  in  all  classes  of  the  com- 
mimity,  so  that  those  who  are  not  trained  may  select  those 
who  are  trained  in  each  special  field  to  do  their  work,  will 
secure  the  best  results.  No  sensible  man  attempts  to  be  his 
own  physician,  to  conduct  his  own  lawsuits,  to  build  his  own 


The  Way  to  Happiness  and  Success  125 

steam-engine,  or  to  manage  his  own  factory,  unless  he  is  a  man 
trained  in  that  special  field.  He  engages  experts  to  do  such 
work.  So  should  it  be  in  connection  with  government.  We 
should  have  a  democratic  government,  conducted  in  the  spirit 
of  Jesus  in  which  the  individual  voters  shall  each  select  as  their 
representatives  the  trained  men  in  the  special  fields  in  which 
work  is  required.  This  type  of  government  is  in  accordance 
with  Jesus'  plan  of  changing  first  the  hearts  of  the  citizens,  and 
then  trusting  the  citizens  with  public  spirit  to  work  out  the 
best  results  for  all. 


Distinguish  clearly  between  social  reform  and  socialism. 
Why  cannot  people  take  the  same  interest  in  an  industry  owned 
and  managed  by  the  government  as  in  one  owned  and  managed 
by  themselves?  Why  are  you  not  as  interested  in  the  work  of 
the  post  ofiice  as  in  your  own  business? 

Subjects  for  Further  Study.  ^ 

(1)  How  far  did  the  beliefs  of  the  early  Jewish  Christians  regarding 
the  second  coming  of  Jesus  preserve  in  a  new  setting  the  nationalistic 
hopes  of  their  race? 

(2)  In  how  far  do  these  beliefs  still  obscure  in  many  minds  the  social 
and  spiritual  significance  of  Jesus'  mission? 

(3)  Formulate  a  definition  of  the  rule  or  democracy  of  God. 

(4)  Think  out  carefully  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  private 
property. 

(5)  Look  up  and  report  on  some  sociaHstic  or  conmiunistic  experi- 
ments.; 


CHAPTER  XI. 
THE  WAY  TO  HAPPINESS  AND  SUCCESS. 

Parallel  Readings. 

Kent,  The  Social  Teachings  of  the  Prophets  and  Jesus,  pp.  220-224. 

Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  356-392. 

Follett,  The  New  State,  pp.  296-330. 

Jesus  said  to  his  disciples: 

"Blessed  are  the  receptive  in  spirit, 

For  they  are  under  the  rule  of  God. 

Blessed  are  the  modest, 

For  they  shall  inherit  the  earth. 

Blessed  are  they  who  mourn, 


126       Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

For  they  shall  be  comforted. 

Blessed  are  they  who  hunger  and  thirst  for  righteousness, 

For  they  sh^,!!  be  satisfied. 

Blessed  are  the  merciful, 

For  they  shall  receive  mercy. 

Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart, 

For  they  shall  see  God. 

Blessed  are  the  peacemakers, 

For  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of  God. 

Blessed  are  they  who  are  persecuted  because  of  their  righteousness, 

For  they  are  under  the  rule  of  God. 

Blessed  are  you  when  you  are  reviled,  persecuted,  and  falsely  maligned 
because  of  your  loyalty  to  me; 

Rejoice  and  be  glad,  for  great  is  your  reward  in  heaven,  for  so  the 
prophets  who  preceded  you  were  persecuted."  Matt.  5:  2-12.  {Shorter 
Bible  translation.) 


I. 

Jesus'  Appreciation  op  Happiness. 
Jesus  recognized  that  the  desire  for  happiness  is  a  dominant 
motive  in  the  mind  of  every  man  and  that  that  desire  is  natural 
and  right.  He  himself  felt  it  strongly,  and  his  teachings  regard- 
ing the  way  in  which  true  happiness  can  be  attained  are  based 
on  his  own  experience  as  well  as  on  his  keen  and  sympathetic 
observation.  So  important  did  he  deem  this  question  that  he 
placed  the  answer  to  it  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  memorable 
talk  on  the  hilltop  with  his  disciples  in  which  he  laid  down  his 
fundamental  principles  of  living  (Matt.  5-7).  These  beatitudes 
took  the  place  of  the  stern  ^'Thou-shalt-nots"  of  the  Old 
Testament  law.  This  fact  was  a  plain  declaration  that  the 
reli^on  which  he  proclaimed  was  indeed  "Good  News,"  a 
religion  of  joy  and  not  of  gloom. 

.'  '  Jesus  condensed  his  teachings  regarding  happiness  into 
eight  brief  beatitudes.  The  beatitude  is  an  especially  attractive 
and  effective  form  of  teaching,  for  it  is  undogmatic  and  pictur- 
esque. In  reality  each  beatitude  is  an  exclamation:  "How 
divinely  happy  are  the  receptive  in  spirit! '^  In  the  presence  of 
a  sunset  we  all  exclaim  involuntarily,  "How  beautiful!''  So  in 
the  beatitude  the  teacher  and  the  ones  taught  view  life  together 
and  formulate  their  common  conclusions. 

The  Greek  word  interpreted  "blessed"  was  used  by  the 
classic  writers  to  describe  only  the  superlative  happiness  of  the 
gods.    The  original  Hebrew  and  Aramaic  word  represented  the 


The  Way  to  Happiness  and  Success  127 

state  of  perfect  happiness  that  came  from  going  straight  and 
being  right:    "How  normal  and  happy  are  the  modest!" 

Most  men  in  Jesus'  day  as  in  our  day,  too,  even  after  these 
many  years,  made  the  mistake  of  thinking  that  happiness  can 
be  attained  by  direct  pursuit.  Youth  too  often  learns  by 
pitiful  experience  the  principle  that  Jesus  was  seeking  to  teach : 
real  happiness  comes  only  as  a  result  of  fulfilling  certain  simple 
but  definite  conditions.  The  supreme  tragedy  of  human  fife  is 
that  in  the  hot  and  direct  pursuit  of  that  which  promised  to 
give  happiness,  countless  millions  throughout  the  ages  have 
suffered  physical,  mental,  and  moral  shipwreck.  Moreover 
they  fail  to  distinguish  between  pleasure  and  happiness.  Jesus 
sought  to  prevent  all  this  appalling  human  wreckage  by  showing 
men  the  better,  the  only  way  to  win  happiness  that  is  real  and 
enduring. 

What  is  the  difference  between  pleasure  and  happiness? 
Is  pleasure  wrong  in  itself?  Why  did  the  Puritans  condemn 
practically  all  secular  pleasures?  How  far  does  the  happiness 
of  the  individual  depend  upon  wealth?  Upon  the  possession 
of  health?  What  evidence  is  there  that  it  is  part  of  the  eternal 
purpose  revealed  in  the  universe  that  every  individual  should 
be  happy? 

11. 

The  Mental  Attitudes  Essential  to  Happiness 
The  first  condition  of  perfect  happiness  is  a  receptive 
attitude.  The  poor  or  receptive  in  spirit  are  those  Who  are 
ready  to  learn  from  every  experience  and  every  teacher  and 
above  all  from  the  divine  Teacher.  They,  therefore,  are  pre- 
eminently qualified  to  co-operate  in  establishing  the  rule  of 
God,  and  to  them  above  all  others  belong  the  blessings  that  it 
will  bring  to  mankind.  In  fact,  as  a  result  of  that  attitude 
they  are  already  enjoying  the  blessings  of  that  rule.  The  second 
condition  is  modesty  or  humility.  Unfortunately  our  English 
words  do  not  fully  convey  the  strength  and  heroism  suggested 
by  this  beatitude.  To  curb  one's  natural  tendency  to  be  self- 
assertive  and  to  resent  real  or  imagined  slights  requires  the 
highest  strength  and  courage.  He  who  is  able  to  do  so,  at  once 
frees  himself  from  those  feelings  of  envy  and  jealousy  and 


128  Jesus'  "Principles  of  Living 

wounded  pride  that  are  the  most  insidious  and  malignant  foes 
of  his  happiness.  Ordinarily  men  feel  under  obligation  to 
repress  the  one  who  is  ever  ur^ng  his  own  rights  and  sounding 
his  own  praises  and  to  champion  the  cause  of  the  one  whose 
ability  outruns  his  claims.  Notwithstanding  appearances,  the 
real  honors  in  the  end  pass  to  the  modest.  As  Jesus  declared, 
"The  modest  inherit  the  earth."  The  modest  man  learns 
from  his  own  mistakes  and  from  the  unenvied  excellence  of 
others,  and  thus  acquires  power  to  attain  for  himself.  It  is 
frequently  the  case  that  our  best  business  men  endeavor  to 
secure  the  services  of  lawyers  who  have  beaten  them  in  court 
or  of  rivals  who  have  surpassed  them  in  competitive  fields. 
They  are  glad  in  their  meekness  to  learn  from  any  one.  And 
their  modesty  pays  dividends.  The  very  wealthy  usually  have 
this  sane,  teachable  spirit. 

Not  the  least  of  the  possessions  of  the  modest  is  the  at- 
mosphere of  tranquillity  and  contentment  which  this  modesty 
creates  and  which  is  absolutely  essential  to  happiness. 

From  the  context  it  is  evident  that  the  happiness  of  those 
who  mourn  is  not  because  they  mourn  for  the  loss  of  friends  or 
material  possessions  but  because  their  ideals  for  themselves 
and  for  society  are  those  of  God  himself  and  they  lament  their 
own  failure  and  that  of  others  to  realize  them.  The  sense  of 
forgiveness,  of  growth,  and  of  progress  alone  comforts  them. 
Hence  theirs  is  the  feeling  of  harmony  with  God  and  man,  the 
joy  of  achievement,  the  consciousness  of  development,  and 
these  are  among  the  most  fertile  sources  of  real  happiness. 

Hunger  and  thirst  are  perhaps  the  most  compelling  forces 
ih  the  life  of  man.  We  of  the  western  world,  however,  cannot 
appreciate  the  full  significance  that  Jesus'  figure  in  the  fourth 
beatitude  had  for  the  men,  women,  and  children  living  in  the 
parched  East  and  in  a  thickly  populated  land  where  raging 
thirst  and  gnawing  hunger  were  a  frequent  experience  of  the 
majority.  As  in  most  of  Jesus'  beatitudes,  his  opening  words, 
"Happy  are  those  who  hunger  and  thirst,"  seemed  a  strange 
paradox.  He  took  pleasure  in  thus  putting  in  starthng  contrast 
the  superficial  thoughts  of  men  and  those  of  God  as  proclaimed 
by  fact  and  experience.  They  who  hunger  and  thi'rst  for  the 
right  and  to  be  right  and  that  the  right  may  prevail  are  supremely 
happy.  Theirs  is  a  diviner  happiness,  when  their  hunger  and 
thirst  are  satisfied,  than  that  of  the  famished  man  at  a  bountiful 


The  Way  to  Happiness  and  Success  129 

banquet  or  that  of  a  thrist-wracked  desert  wanderer  as  he  at 
last  stoops  down  to  drink  from  a  cool,  gushing  spring. 

An  open  and  receptive  mind,  a  modesty  which  is  forgetful 
of  self  and  loses  itself  in  the  service  of  others,  high  ideals  and 
persistency  in  striving  to  attain  them,  and  an  impelhng  desire 
to  know  what  is  right  and  to  see  that  the  right  always  prevails 
—  these  are  the  quahties  that  the  business  man  demands  in 
him  to  whom  he  entrusts  important  interests.  These  are  the 
virtues  that  we  desire  to  find  in  our  friends,  and  these  are  the 
mental  attitudes  that  insure  our  happiness  in  this  Hfe  and 
through  eternity. 

What  is  the  value  of  the  paradox  in  teaching  a  new  and 
important  truth?  How  does  Jesus'  life  illustrate  the  strength 
and  heroic  quahty  of  humiUty?  Which  is  the  more  potent 
source  of  unhappiness:  the  consciousness  of  being  wronged  or 
that  of  having  wronged  another?  Which  of  these  beatitudes 
have  you  found  most  productive  of  happiness?  Have  you 
tested  and  found  the  truth  of  them  all?  What  ones  have  you 
thus  tested? 

III. 

The  Attitude  toward  Society  Essential  for  Happiness. 
.^  No  teacher  in  the  history  of  humanity  saw  more  clearly 
than  Jesus  the  tragic,  deadly  effects  of  sin;  no  one  appreciated 
as  did  he,  the  infinite  mercy  and  love  of  God  toward  the  victims 
of  sin.  Slow-footed  science  is  beginning  to  discover  how  potent 
are  the  forces  in  nature  that  combat  disease  and  the  influences 
at  work  in  society  to  overcome  the  effects  of  the  folly  and 
weakness  of  individuals  and  races.  In  the  presence  of  modem 
scientific  discovery,  we  stand  in  awe  before  the  forces  that 
make  for  health  and  sanity  and  progress.  The  forces  that 
make  for  degeneration  and  destruction  are  present  too,  but 
the  theory  of  evolution  is  simply  a  formulation  of  the  conviction, 
based  on  the  study  of  milhons  of  data,  that  the  forces  working 
for  Hfe  and  progress  in  the  physical  world  are  ascendant.  The 
saine  is  true  in  the  mental  and  moral  realms.  The  struggle 
between  these  antagonistic  forces  is  the  drama  of  eternity,  a 
drama  of  realities  that  make  up  the  history  of  the  universe. 
In  the  last  four  beatitudes  Jesus  was  trying  to  make  clear 


130  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

to  men  the  unending  happiness  that  would  be  theirs  if  they 
enlisted  all  their  energies  on  the  side  of  the  eternal  forces  that 
make  for  progress.  He  taught  his  disciples  to  pray,  ''Forgive 
us  our  wrong-doing  as  we  forgive  those  who  wrong  us."  Mercy 
is  one  of  the  attributes  of  God.  Mercy  begets  mercy.  To  a 
sensitive  soul  no  pain  is  more  intense  than  that  which  comes 
from  regret  and  remorse  for  wrong  done  to  others.  Regret  and 
remorse  are  the  flames  of  the  real  hell  in  which  every  sinner 
finds  himself  sooner  or  later.  They  are  the  deadly  foes  of  all 
happiness.  Every  rehgion  has  been  compelled  by  the  crying 
needs  of  suffering  humanity  to  offer  some  way  of  escape. 
Judaism  suggested  the  insufficient  palUatives  of  almsgiving  and 
sacrifice  and  ceremonial.  Jesus  quietly  waived  these  aside  and 
proposed  a  more  fundamental,  in  fact  the  only  cure:  hke  God, 
be  merciful  to  all  men,  and  then  the  happiness  you  crave 
will  be  yours,  for  you  will  learn  the  power  of  love  to  forgive. 
You  will  be  merciful  to  your  penitent  self  as  you  are  to  others. 
Your  fellow  men  will  gladly  grant  to  you  the  mercy  and  for- 
giveness that  you  give  to  them,  and  at  last  you  will  understand 
how  completely  yoiu*  own  sins  and  failures  are  forgiven  by  the 
eternal  heart  of  love.  Then  you  will  experience  the  deep 
abiding  happiness  that  comes  to  a  soul  freed  from  all  harshness 
and  hatred  and  filled  with  a  sense  of  harmony  with  all  men  and 
with  the  infinite  Will  that  is  working  for  perfection 

The  sixth  beatitude  is  too  axiomatic  to  require  interpretation : 
''Supremely  normal  and  happy  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they 
shall  see  God."  The  Aramaic  word  means  both  mind  and  heart. 
The  scientist  who  studies  nature  with  unbiased  mind  sees 
clearly  certain  of  the  infinite  manifestations  of  God.  The 
open-minded  inventor  discovers  certain  principles^' hitherto 
hidden  and  makes  them  useful  for  the  service  of  mankind. 
The  joy  of  discovery  is  certainly  one  of  the  purest  sources  of 
happiness  known  to  men. 

In  the  light  of  its  Old  Testament  message,  the  phrase 
"pure  in  heart"  described  especially  that  freedom  from  prej- 
udice and  from  the  shadow  of  sin  and  of  those  impure  or 
superficial  thoughts  or  unbridled  feelings  that  darken  the 
vision,  confuse  the  judgment  and  make  the  great  majority  of 
men  wholly  or  partially  bhnd  to  the  manifestations  of  God  and 
of  his  good  purpose.  These  good  purposes  are  evident  at  every 
turn  to  the  men  who  have  eyes  to  see,  and  giveXhem  while  here 


The  Way  to  Happiness  and  Success  131 

on  earth  a  foretaste  of  the  happiness  which  is  in  store  for  us 
throughout  eternity. 

Why  does  the  merciful  attitude  necessitate  more  accurate 
analysis  of  motives  but  no  more  leniency  in  the  treatment  of  a 
defiant  criminal?  Cite  typical  cases  from  the  life  of  Jesus  and 
from  modern  Hfe.  Why  are  children  usually  incUned  to  con- 
demn in  others  sins  or  faults  which  they  overlook  or  excuse  in 
themselves?  In  how  far  is  the  Christian  Science  teaching  that 
the  sins  of  the  individual  do  not  represent  the  real  self  correct? 
Is  social  inamoraUty  increasing  or  decreasing  in  our  Anglo- 
Saxon  nations?  Cf.  e.g.,  reports  of  draft  boards.  What  meas- 
ures can  and  should  the  church  take  to  combat  this  evil? 


IV. 

The  Joy  of  Co-operating  With  God. 

Into  the  seventh  and  eighth  beatitudes  Jesus  put  the 
essence  of  his  Hfe  experience.  Whatever  be  his  origin,  his 
supreme  title  to  be  called  the  Son  of  God  Kes  in  the  fact  that, 
like  his  divine  Father,  he  was  a  creator  of  harmony  and  com- 
pleteness. The  meaning  of  these  pregnant  Aramaic  words  has 
already  been  discussed  (p.  26).  From  childhood  to  old  age 
one  of  the  chief  sources  of  happiness  is  creation.  The  author, 
the  artist,  the  architect,  the  manual  laborer,  the  devoted  parent, 
the  statesman,  and  all  who  rise  above  the  mere  struggle  for 
food  and  possessions  find  their  great  joy  in  constructive  work. 
"Constructive  workmanship''  is  one  of  the  most  significant 
watchwords  of  the  present  day.  To  make  man's  happiness 
complete  it  is  important  (1)  that  the  work  be  well  done,  (2) 
that  it  win  recognition  because  it  supplies  a  real  need,  and  (3) 
that  it  permanently  enrich  the  hfe  of  humanity.  The  work 
that  Jesus  sets  before  his  followers  in  the  highest  measure 
meets  these  exacting  requirements.  He  invites  them  to  join 
with  God  in  building  well  that  which  is  not  temporal  but 
eternal:  developed  manhood  and  womanhood,  the  perfect 
home  and  community  and  society,  and  above  all  thus  to  secure 
for  themselves  and  for  their  fellows  that  complete  happiness 
which  alone  will  make  perfect  the  joy  of  God  himself. 

Were  we  not  Hving  in  an  heroic  age,  Jesus'  eighth  beatitude 
would  seem  too  paradoxical  to  be  true:  "Supremely  blest  are 


132  Jesus*  Principles  op  Livma 

those  who  are  persecuted  because  they  are  doing  right,  for  they 
already  share  the  joys  of  God's  rule!"  Lest  it  should  not  be 
fully  imderstood  he  expands  it:  ''Suffering  for  a  cause  like 
that  which  I  present  allies  you  with  the  heroic  order  of  the 
prophets  and  insiu-es  to  you  unending  happiness."  The  records 
of  the  beloved  community  that  rallied  about  Jesus  and  his 
cause  illustrate  the  joy  that  came  to  ordinary  men  and  women 
even  in  the  midst  of  persecution  and  in  part  even  because  of  per- 
secution. The  joy  of  sacrifice  for  a  noble  cause  and  for  conscience' 
sake  was  theirs.  And  there  can  be  no  truer  joy.  The  history  of 
his  followers  during  the  strenuous  opening  Christian  centuries  is 
also  replete  with  dramatic  illustrations.  The  blood-stained 
battle  fields  of  France  illustrated  the  unspeakable  happiness 
that  comes  through  the  sacrifice  of  comfort  and  possessions, 
and  fife  if  need  be,  for  a  great  cause.  '*It  was  all  one  great  and 
glorious  picnic,"  one  college  boy  of  twenty  wrote  to  his  mother 
when  the  armistice  was  signed  and  he  looked  back  on  three 
months  spent  in  leading  his  company,  almost  without  cessation, 
against  shock  and  shell,  in  the  face  of  machine  gun  fire  and  the 
more  deadly  peril  of  poisoned  gas.  Perhaps  the  greatest  tragedy 
in  human  life  is  never  to  have  felt  and  responded  to  the  call 
to  suffer  in  behalf  of  a  great  cause.  Jesus  worked  and  taught 
and  gave  his  fife  that  he  might  deliver  men  from  this  tragedy 
and  give  them  this  exquisite  happiness  of  life.  "Supremely 
happy  are  you  when  you  are  re\iled,  persecuted,  and  falsely 
maligned  because  of  your  loyalty  to  me"  was  said  first  to  his 
early  followers  and  they  knew  it  was  true;  but  it  contains  an 
eternal  principle  which  our  old,  easy-going  world  was  fast 
forgetting  before  it  was  aroused  by  the  strenuous  demands  of  the 
new  age.  If  the  ideals  for  which  our  finest  youth  have  so  gener- 
ously given  their  lives  are  to  be  preserved,  even  greater  and 
more  universal  loyalty  and  sacrifice  are  now  demanded. 

In  his  quiet  way  Jesus  established  new  standards  of  value, 
although  he  was  ready  to  test  them  all  in  the  scales  of  individual 
happiness.  Instead  of  wealth  and  possessions,  personal  honors, 
prestige  and  power,  he  set  as  goals  for  which  to  strive,  open- 
mindedness,  modesty,  a  yearning  for  absolute  truth,  justice, 
uprightness,  the  merciful  spirit,  purity  of  heart,  creative  power, 
and  a  worthy  cause  for  which  to  strive  and  sacrifice.  "Strive 
for  these,"  he  declared,  "and  you  will  attain  them  and  as  a 
glorious  by-product  you  will  also  win  happiness  that  is  both 


The  Way  to  Happiness  and  Success  133 

satisfying  and  abiding."     The  proof  of  the  truth  of  these 
teachings  is  found  in  the  laboratory  of  life. 

What  types  of  business  would  you  call  creative  in  the 
sense  of  the  seventh  beatitude  and  what  are  not?  In  choosing 
an  occupation  how  far  should  one  seek  that  which  is  creative? 
What  are  some  of  the  modern  causes  for  which  men  can  win 
happiness  through  persecution? 


Community  Happiness  and' Success. 

In  any  community  organized  on  the  plans  laid  down  by 
Jesus  we  should  find  the  citizens  in  close  personal  touch  one 
with  the  other,  each  attempting  to  render  what  constructive 
service  he  can  in  order  to  promote  the  public  welfare.  Blessed 
is  the  community  that  has  a  receptive  spirit  and  is  eager  to 
avail  itself  of  the  practical  experience  wrought  out  in  other 
communities.  The  results  may  be  gained  through  agents  sent 
to  study  the  work  being  done  in  other  progressive  communities 
or  through  speciahsts. 

The  normal  organization  for  the  promotion  of  any  public 
enterprise  is  first  by  voluntary  groups  Vho  meet  to  plan  and 
discuss,  then  under  the  influence  of  a  group  or  of  several  groups, 
the  community  either  in  a  voluntary  pubhc  meeting  or  in  its 
official  pubhc  capacity  takes  up  its  specific  problems  and  works 
them  out  in  the  fight  of  knowledge  won  through  careful  study 
and  investigation. 

Following  the  example, of  the  great  community  organizer, 
one's  thought  naturally  turns  first  in  any  community  to  the 
saving  of  lives  and  the  promotion  of  the  physical  welfare.  The 
citizens  organize  to  secure  good  sanitation,  a  pure  water  supply, 
a  safe  system  of  drainage,  and  whatever  improvements  are 
necessary  to  prevent  infections  of  any  kind  that  promote 
disease.  Hospitals  are  built  in  accord  with  the  plans  that  insure 
tiie  best  care  for  the  physically  and  mentally  ill. 

Next,  careful  attention  is  given  to  Hving  and  working  con- 
ditions. The  whole  community  is  interested  in  seeing  that 
proper  arrangements  are  made  for  housing  all  classes  in  such 
a  way  that  comfort,  good  morals,  and  enjoyment  are  provided 
for  each  and  every  individual. 


134  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

In  any  democratic  country,  such  as  the  United  States, 
and  even  more  in  the  coming  democracy  of  God,  care  should 
be  taken  that  the  common  citizen  be  trained  in  such  a  way 
that  not  only  is  his  own  welfare  promoted  but  also  the  safety 
and  welfare  of  the  entire  conamunity.  This  means,  of  course, 
school  systems  of  the  best  type.  Perhaps  on  no  other  pubUc 
enterprise  at  the  present  time,  even  in  the  United  States  where 
public  education  is  so  much  discussed,  is  there  manifested  so 
great  a  spirit  of  unwilUngness  to  spend  money  as  on  schools  in 
order  to  secure  the  best  teaching.  While  it  is  true  that  a  very 
large  proportion  of  our  municipal  and  state  budgets  are  devoted 
to  education,  every  thoughtful  student  of  the  subject  knows 
that  far  too  small  a  proportion  of  that  budget  is  devoted  to 
the  pay  of  teachers.  Certainly  if  the  principle  of  ;Jesus  is  true 
that  minds  and  hearts  are  developed  and  changed  by  personal 
influence  and  patient  instruction,  there  could  be  no  greater 
mistake.  Buildings  are  of  slight  account  compared  with  the 
personal  influence  of  the  teacher,  and  yet  in  many  instances  the 
community  is  wiUing  to  pay  those  into  whose  charge  the  children 
of  the  community  are  placed  for  their  mental  and  moral  train- 
ing, far  less  than  it  pays  the  men  who  build  our  houses  and 
make  our  roads  and  railroads.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that 
these  communities  fail  to  obtain  the  happiness  which  comes  only 
when  citizens  are  trained  to  be  open-minded,  eager  to  know  and 
do  what  is  right,  pure  in  mind  and  heart  and  prepared  to  do 
constructive  work. 

Education  should  include,  of  course,  not  merely  the  ordin- 
ary accomphshments  of  the  arts  of  reading,  writing,  and  arith- 
metic, but  should  include  also  the  development  of  the  artistic 
spirit  through  the  establishment  of  art  galleries,  the  proper 
training  in  nature  study,  the  building  of  parks,  the  direction  of 
the  architecture  of  our  cities  and  especially  the  training  in 
morals  in  the  broadest  and  best  sense  of  that  word.  How  far 
this  can  make  happiness  and  success,  and  whether  it  should  be 
promoted  by  governmental  means  or  by  the  voluntary  associa- 
tion of  the  dtizens,  are  immaterial.  The  methods  by  which 
these  ends  should  be  secured  naturally  vary  in  different  com- 
munities. In  some  places  the  government  will  take  the  lead, 
in  others  voluntary  organization.  The  one  thing  that  is  essential 
is  that  the  individual  members  of  the  community  through 
joint  counsel  and  common  action  secure  the  results,  and  that 


The  Way  to  Happiness  and  Success  135 

not  the  few  but  the  many  experience  the  happiness  of  doing 
this  vital  constructive  work. 


Is  there  danger  of  weakening  the  morale  of  a  community 
by  giving  free  of  charge  to  the  citizens  education,  art,  enter- 
tainment? 

What  effect  would  free  rides  on  street  railways  supported 
by  taxation  have  on  the  welfare  of  the  community?  May  a 
community  have  happiness  in  large  degree  without  welfare,  or 
welfare  without  happiness?  In  what  ways  can  each  member  of 
a  community  be  enabled  and  influenced  to  make  his  special 
contribution  to  the  well-being  and  happiness  of  the  whole? 


VI. 

National  Happiness  and  Success. 

The  same  principles  that  apply  in  smaller  communities 
apply  in  the  wider  field  of  the  nation's  activities.  The  methods, 
however,  must  vary.  In  a  small  community,  through  town 
meetings  or  the  voluntary  action  of  groups  of  individuals, 
common  action  may  be  secured.  In  the  broader  field  of  the 
nation  the  work  must  be  done  through  representatives.  These 
representatives  should  be  chosen  with  especial  reference  to  the 
attainment  of  the  ends  desired. 

The  field  of  activity  of  the  nation  is  also  different  from  that 
of  the  local  community.  There  must  be,  first,  the  protection 
of  the  people  as  a  whole  against  foreign  aggression.  The 
direction  of  army  and  navy  services  are  necessary,  and  the 
control  and  management  of  diplomatic  relations  with  other 
countries  must  be  in  the  hands  of  the  national  government. 

In  order  that  the  health  of  the  citizens  may  be  protected, 
the  national  government  must  establish  rules  and  institutions 
for  enforcing  quarantine  regulations  against  the  importing  of 
contagious  diseases.  Similar  regulations  will  prevent  the 
importation  of  diseases  that  affect  animals  and  plants.  Often 
it  becomes  necessary,  in  order  to  be  certain  of  a  proper  food 
supply  and  to  assure  the  development  of  essential  industries, 
that  regulations  regarding  the  imports  and  exports  of  goods  of 
various  kinds  be  made  and  administered.  Likewise  for  the 
protection  of  morals  and  for  the  building  up  of  a  citizenship  of 


136  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

the  highest  type,  the  representatives  of  the  nation  must  provide 
for  the  regulation  of  immigration  and  must  throu^  such 
regulations  prevent  the  bringing  in  of  people  whose  teachings 
and  influence  would  be  detrimental. 

More  certain  than  preventive  measures  of  protection 
against  other  nations,  necessary  as  these  are  at  times,  are  the 
positive  constructive  pohcies  that  should  be  established  to 
promote  in  all  commimities  a  more  intimate  knowledge  of 
foreign  peoples  and  governments  and  the  cultivation  of  inter- 
national good  will.  This  is  a  task  worthy  of  the  best  efforts  of 
highly  trained  diplomats  and  broad-minded  citizens. 

It  is  not  possible,  especially  in  the  present  stage  of  human 
knowledge  and  with  the  present  relations  existing  among 
nations,  that  the  best  results  be  attained,  but  excellent  begin- 
nings have  been  made  in  certain  fields.  Already  in  several 
'countries  we  find  afl&liated  associations  for  labor  legislation. 
There  are  international  university  societies  which  seek  to  bring 
together  socially  the  scholars  of  different  countries  when  they 
are  visiting  foreign  lands.  The  Pan-American  Society  promotes 
in  all  social  and  educational  ways  the  union  of  the  nations  of 
the  American  continent.  The  Pan-American  Union  and  the 
Pan-American  Financial  Conferences  in  similar  manner  seek 
to  secure  joint  action  on  political  and  financial  questions. 
The  exchange  professorships  and  the  numerous  visiting  com- 
mittees among  nations  all  lead  strongly  in  the  same  direction. 
Even  more  promising  in  many  ways  are  the  activities  of  our 
great  mission  boards,  of  the  Young  Men's  and  Young  Women's 
Christian  Associations,  and  other  religious  bodies  in  this  inter- 
national field.  The  Interchurch  World  Movement  is  already 
enhsted  in  this  service  and  the  outlook  for  the  future  brightens. 
As  yet,  we  must  confess,  only  a  promising  beginning  has  been 
made.  With  the  right  motives,  however,  on  the  part  of  the 
citizens,  with  the  proper  desire  to  promote  the  public  welfare  not 
merely  at  home  but  also  abroad,  much  can  be  done  to  improve 
present  conditions.  The  way  to  happiness  for  himian  society  as 
well  as  for  the  individual  lies  along  the  plain  paths  marked  out  by 
Jesus.  Receptivity,  aspiration,  modesty,  zeal  to  know  and  do 
what  is  right,  consideration  for  others,  freedom  from  prejudice 
and  immorality,  constructive  workmanship  and  readiness  to 
suffer  for  a  ri^teous  cause  are  international  as  well  as  in- 
dividual virtues. 


The  Universality  op  Jesus'  Principles  op  Lipe  137 

What  can  be  done  in  our  pubKc  schools  to  cultivate  friendly- 
interest  in  foreign  peoples?  What  is  the  effect  of  foreign  missions 
on  international  politics?  What  dangers  should  be  recognized 
and  avoided  in  foreign  mission  work?  What  can  be  done  to 
develop  a  Christian  sympathy  and  plans  for  united  work  that 
will  promote  the  permanent  happiness  of  the  human  race? 

Subjects  for  Further  Study. 

(1)  How  would  you  define  happiness,  and  is  it  a  worthy  goal  for  which 
to  strive?  Distinguish  clearly  the  meanings  of  happiness,  joy,  enjoyment, 
pleasure,  fun,  contentment.     (Hilty,  Happiness.) 

(2)  What  would  have  been  the  effect  on  Jesus'  personal  happiness 
if  he  had  yielded  to  the  impulses  revealed  in  the  story  of  his  temptation? 
In  what  sense  was  his  life  on  earth  supremely  happy,  and  what  were  the 
the  chief  sources  of  his  happiness? 

(3)  In  what  ways  does  modern  science,  and  especially  the  results  of 
sociology,  criminology,  and  psycho-analysis,  tend  to  promote  the  merciful 
attitude  toward  wrong-doers? 

(4)  Why  do  sins  of  social  immorahty  so  completely  blunt  the  religious 
and  moral  sense  of  those  who  commit  them? 

(5)  What  sources  of  happiness  does  Dr.  Richard  Cabot  suggest  in  his 
volume.  What  Men  Live  For?    What  sources  would  you  add? 

(6)  Analyze  the  influences  which  (1)  tend  to  destroy  your  individual 
happiness,  and  (2)  tend  to  propaote  your  happiness.  Make  a  similar 
analysis  of  the  community  in  which  you  hve.  Make  a  similar  analysis  of 
the  present  international  situation. 

(7)  How  far  are  mere  misunderstandings  sources  of  trouble  and  un- 
happiness  among  individuals,  conmiunities,  and  nations? 


CHAPTER  XII. 
THE  UNIVERSALITY  OF  JESUS'  PRINCIPLES  OF  LIFE. 

Parallel  Readings  J^ 

Kent,  Historical  Bible,  V,  pp.  310-322.  ' 

Cooley,  Social  Organization,  pp.  395-419. 

FoUett,  The  New  State,  pp.  333-373. 

I  am  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life;  no  man  comes  to  the  Father 
except  through  me.  If  you  have  learned  to  know  me,  you  would  have 
known  my  Father  also;  from  now  on  you  know  him  and  have  seen  him. 

He  who  has  seen  me  has  seen  the  Father;  then  how  can  you  say, 
"Let  us  see  the  Father* '?  Do  you  not  beUeve  that  I  am  in  the  Father  and 
the  Father  in  me?   The  words  that  I  speak  to  you  I  speak  not  on  my  own 


138  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

authority,  but  the  Father  who  is  always  in  me  does  his  own  work.  BeKeve 
me,  I  am  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  me,  or  else  beheve  me  because 
of  the  work  itself.  I  say  to  you,  he  who  beheves  in  me  will  do  the  work 
which  I  do  and  still  greater  works  than  these,  for  I  go  to  my  Father.  And 
whatever  you  shall  ask  in  my  name  I  will  do,  that  the  Father  may  be 
glorified  through  the  Son.    If  you  ask  anything  in  my  name  I  will  do  it. 

If  you  love  me  you  will  keep  my  commands,  and  I  shall  ask  the 
Father  and  he  will  give  you  another  Helper  to  be  with  you  forever,  even 
the  Spirit  of  truth.  The  world  cannot  receive  that  Spirit,  because  it  does 
not  see  him  nor  know  him;  you  know  him,  for  he  remains  with  you  and 
shall  be  within  you. 

I  will  not  leave  you  bereaved;  I  am  coming  to  you.  In  a  little  while 
the  world  will  see  me  no  more;  but  you  shall  see  me,  because  I  hve  and 
you  shall  Uve  also.  At  that  day  you  will  understand  that  I  am  in  my 
Father  and  you  in  me  and  I  in  you.  He  who  has  my  commands  and  obeys 
them  is  the  one  who  loves  me;  and  he  who  loves  me  will  be  loved  by  my 
Father,  and  I  will  love  him  and  will  reveal  myself  to  him. 

He  who  does  not  love  me  does  not  obey  my  teachings.  The  message 
which  you  hear  is  not  mine  but  that  of  the  Father  who  sent  me. 

I  have  told  you  all  this  while  I  am  still  with  you;  but  the  Helper, 
the  Holy  Spirit,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  will  teach  you 
everything  and  remind  you  of  all  that  I  have  said  to  you. 

Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  own  peace  I  give  to  you;  not  as  the  world 
gives  do  I  give  to  you.  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled  nor  afraid.  You 
have  heard  me  tell  you  that  I  go  away  and  am  coming  back  to  you?  If 
you  love  me  you  will  rejoice  because  I  am  going  to  the  Father,  for  the 
Father  is  greater  than  I.  I  have  told  you  this  now  before  it  occurs,  that 
when  it  does  occm*  you  may  beheve.    John  I4  -'  6,  7,  9h  —  SI,  24-29. 

I  have  said  all  this  to  you  that  you  may  have  peace  through  union 
with  me.  In  the  world  you  have  affiction;  but  be  courageous.  I  have 
conquered  the  world.    John  16  :  33. 

Judge  not  that  you  may  not  be  judged,  for  as  you  judge  others  you 
will  yourself  be  judged,  and  according  to  the  measure  with  which  you  deal 
out  to  others,  it  will  be  dealt  out  to  you.  Matt.  7:  1,  2.  {Shorter  Bible 
translation.) 


I. 

Jesus,  the  Real  Discoverer  of  the  Individual. 

It  is  a  fact  not  generally  recognized  that  Jesus  was  the 
first  of  the  great  social  thinkers  and  creative  builders  of  society 
to  lay  the  foundations  for  the  true  democratic  social  state. 
We  do  not  think  of  Jesus  ordinarily  as  a  philosopher;  we  think 
of  him  rather  as  a  man  of  action,  basing  his  acts  upon  a  few 
simple  articles  of  faith.  A  careful  analysis  of  his  works,  however, 
will  show  that  his  acts  were  determined  by  a  profound  philos- 
ophy based  upon  an  intimate  knowledge  of  human  nature. 

We  have  seen  (Chapter  V)  that  Jesus  laid  especial  emphasis 


The  Universality  op  Jesus'  Principles  op  Lipe  139 

in  his  teaching  upon  individual  responsibiUty  and  the  develop- 
ment to  the  utmost  of  personaHty.  The  ancient  fathers  had  no 
such  understanding  of  the  significance  and  value  of  the  individ- 
ual, although  Socrates  apparently  had  some  glimmering  of  the 
idea.  In  the  ideal  Republic  of  Plato,  and  even  in  the  critical 
teachings  of  the  more  practical  Aristotle,  there  was  indeed  a 
well-worked-out  plan  for  a  democratic  government;  but  the 
great  mass  of  the  common  people,  even  in  the  ideal  common- 
wealths, were  always  to  remain  laborers,  mere  hewers  of  wood 
and  drawers  of  water,  whose  energies  were  to  be  expended 
primarily  in  doing  the  manual  and  routine  work  necessary  to 
furnish  leisure  to  the  thinkers,  the  philosophers,  who  were  to 
be  the  actual  rulers  and  to  make  the  plans  for  the  work  of 
society.  In  the  Athenian  commonwealth  probably  ninety  per 
cent  of  the  inhabitants  were  practically  slaves.  The  ten  per 
cent  who  were  educated  by  the  State  and  who  spent  their  time 
in  discussing  public  affairs  and  philosophy,  perhaps  to  a  greater 
extent  than  any  other  people  of  history,  had  among  themselves 
doubtless  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  worth  of  the  individual 
citizen  but  not  of  the  individual  human  being. 

Even  in  the  days  of  the  ancient  Hebrew  commonwealth, 
democratic  as  it  was  in  conception,  there  still  remained  always 
the  beUef  that  certain  classes,  especially  the  priests,  were  those 
who  were  to  interpret  to  the  people  the  will  of  God  and  thereby 
to  furnish  them  chiefly  their  rules  of  action  in  Hfe.  The  ordi- 
nary individuals  did  right  in  the  view  of  the  great  teachers  if  they 
followed  unthinkingly  the  precepts  laid  down  for  them  by  the 
priestly  rulers. 

In  consequence,  the  belief  and  teaching  of  Jesus  that  the 
ordinary  individual  was  of  infinite  worth  in  the  sight  of  God 
was  to  the  Jewish  teachers  a  revolutionary  idea  subversive  of 
not  only  the  political  order  of  the  day  but  also  of  the  existing 
rehgious  order. 

To-day  we  are  in  a  position  both  socially  and  psychologi- 
cally to  recognize  the  truth  and  practicability  of  Jesus'  principle. 
Many  as  are  the  mistakes  that  are  made  by  even  the  best  of  the 
modern  democracies,  and  discouraging  as  is  often  the  slowness 
of  the  progress  of  popular  rule,  it  seems  to  be  a  fairly  well 
established  fact  that  it  is  only  through  the  development  of  the 
great  masses  of  the  common  people  untU  they  can  recognize 
the  real  social  value  of  their  acts,  that  there  can  be  permanent 


140  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living 

safety  in  any  form  of  government.  ''The  cure  for  the  evils  of 
democracy  is  more  democracy."  That  means,  it  is  becoming 
evident  to  the  world  that  we  must  rely  upon  popular  self- 
government,  and  the  only  way  to  keep  that  form  of  government 
from  faUing  into  either  anarchy  or  despotism  is  through  the 
intellectual  and  moral  training  of  the  individual.  Practically 
all  pohtical  and  social  thinkers  of  the  present  day  beHeve  that 
with  such  training  democracy  will  be  successftd;  without  it, 
there  will  be  many  failm-es  and  much  delay  in  the  attainment  of 
the  best,  but  nothing  else  than  democracy  is  practicable  or 
possible.  Jesus  is  primarily  responsible  for  this  belief  of  modem 
times. 

In  what  respects  is  the  obedience  to  law  of  a  strong  per- 
sonality more  commendable  than  the  obedience  of  a  weak  man? 

How  far  do  individuals  exist  for  the  sake  of  society?  How 
far  does  society  exist  for  the  sake  of  its  individual  members? 

II. 

The  World^s  Greatest  Social  Psychologist. 

The  principle  of  human  worth  is  also  psycholo^cally 
Bound  both  in  pohtical  and  in  rehgious  Hfe.  Unless  the  individual 
voter  can  be  made  to  feel  that  he  personally  is  of  some  worth  and 
of  true  value  to  society,  he  will  not  be  wilhng  to  take  the  time 
and  energy  required  to  fit  himself  for  the  duties  of  citizenship. 
If  on  the  other  hand  he  feels  that  he  can  accomplish  things 
worth  while,  he  will  be  the  more  ready  to  assume  responsibihty. 

This  principle  is  likewise  the  true  explanation  in  the  field 
of  religion  of  the  so-called  miraculous  conversions,  when  they 
are  real  conversions,  of  the  Salvation  Army  and  of  the  old-time 
revivalists.  Usually  it  will  be  noted  that  the  persons  having 
this  experience,  and  the  ones  who  are  most  frequently  cited  as 
wonderful  examples  of  God's  redeeming  power,  are  those  who 
have  been  most  degraded.  Often  they  are  men  or  women  of 
education  who  have  come  from  the  cultivated  classes  of  society, 
but  who  under  the  influence  of  strong  drink  or  evil  passions  or 
weak  wills  have  fallen  into  depths  of  degradation.  After  a 
debauch,  coming  from  the  gutter  into  a  mission,  almost  hopeless 
from  degrading  experiences  that  are  the  result  of  his  own  weak- 
ness, the  sinner  feels  his  utter  worthlessness.    Frequently  he 


The  Universality  op  Jesus'  Principles  of  Life  141 

has  contemplated  suicide  as  the  only  way  out  of  the  depths. 
Then  he  hears  the  message  of  the  revivaUst  telHng  of  the 
infinite  love  of  God  and  assuring  him  that  God's  personal  love 
for  him  has  been  so  great  that  he  has  sent  his  only  begotten 
Son  as  a  sacrifice  for  his  redemption.  Caught  by  the  suggestion 
of  his  own  worth  through  God's  love,  he  acquires  courage  and 
confidence  that  with  God's  help  he  may  recover  his  former 
mental  and  moral  status  and  may  even  go  on  to  the  performance 
of  duties  that  will  be  beneficial  to  others.  The  suggestion 
continually  renewed  gives  him  power  and  the  man  stands  actually 
redeemed  from  his  own  weakness,  as  long  as  the  power  of  the 
wholesome  suggestion  remains. 

Naturally  such  an  explanation  of  the  marvellous  experi- 
ence in  no  way  derogates  from  the  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  working  out  this  redemption.  The  fact  is  that  the  conver- 
sion and  the  resulting  redemption  are  strictly  in  accord  with  the 
ordinary  well-understood  laws  of  psychology,  and  that  in 
consequence  we  may  understand  better  how  such  signal  acts  of 
redemption  may  be  made  more  frequent  and  more  permanent. 

To  have  seen  clearly  this  possibiHty  and  to  have  acted,  as 
did  Jesus,  first  of  all  the  great  teachers,  shows  his  marvellous 
insight  into  human  nature  and  his  supreme  position  as  a  social 
philosopher.  In  the  Hght  of  the  historical  effects  of  his  fife  and 
teachings,  which  prove  experimentally  the  accuracy  of  his 
insight  into  the  workings  of  the  human  mind  and  heart,  it  is 
not  too  much  to  assert  that  he  is  the  greatest  social  psychologist 
of  history. 

Why  has  Jesus  not  been  counted  among  the  great  philoso- 
phers and  psychologists  by  historical  writers?  What  ground 
is  there  for  classifying  rehgious  leaders  Hke  Confucius,  Buddha, 
and  Mohammed,  as  philosophers  and  psychologists? 


III. 

The  Supreme  Interpreter  of  God. 

Many  have  been  the  controversies  over  the  doctrine  of  the 

divinity  of  Jesus.    Apparently  of  late  years  the  issue  is  drawn 

between  those  who  speak  of  Jesus'  miraculous  birth  in  a  physical 

sense  and  those  who  look  upon  Jesus  primarily  as  the  spiritual 


142  Jesus'  Principles  op  Living 

interpreter  of  God  to  raen.  Although  from  ancient  times  phi- 
losophers have  speculated  regarding  the  essential  nature  of  all 
things  and  have  wondered  regarding  ultimate  reaUties,  since 
the  days  of  Immanuel  Kant,  practically  all  thinking  people 
have  recognized  that  men  are  conscious  of  phenomena  —  things 
as  they  appear  to  human  minds  —  and  that  they  do  not  know 
and  are  incapable  of  finding  out  just  what  is  the  ultimate  reality 
that  produces  the  effects  upon  our  senses  which  make  us  con- 
scious of  these  phenomena.  No  one  knows,  or  presumably 
ever  can  know,  just  what  is  the  nature  of  hfe,  of  hght, 
of  electricity,  of  gravitation,  or  of  all  the  multipHcity  of 
material  things  that  we  see  and  touch  and  taste.  We  are 
conscious  of  their  appearances  to  us.  Beyond  that  we  know 
absolutely  nothing. 

In  the  same  way  we  grasp  the  idea  of  God.  In  different 
countries,  in  different  stages  of  civihzation,  the  conception  of 
God  of  necessity  varies  as  people  interpret  the  causes  of  natural 
phenomena  in  different  ways.  Among  primitive  peoples  the 
beneficent  and  the  destructive  effects  of  natural  phenomena  such 
as  sunshine,  wind,  cold  and  heat,  normally  give  rise,  when 
people  seek  for  causes,  to  beliefs  in  some  unknown  beneficent 
and  maleficent  beings  that  are  called  gods.  Primitive  peoples, 
naturally  judging  these  forces  by  their  results,  ascribe  to  them 
human  quahties:  good-will,  love,  hatred,  envy;  and  they 
naturally  in  consequence  attempt  to  please  the  unknown  forces 
or  gods  to  whom  they  are  grateful  and  to  propitiate  those  whom 
they  fear. 

No  two  nations  or  peoples  have  ever  had  identically  the 
same  conception  of  the  gods  or  of  the  one  supreme  God.  It  is 
not  too  much  to  say  that  inasmuch  as  no  two  individuals  can 
ever  be  quite  identical  in  thought  or  feehng,  so  no  two  individuals 
can  ever  have  quite  the  same  conception  of  God.  It  often  seems 
that  the  great  pathetic  tragedy  of  Hfe  is  that  no  one  can  ever 
absolutely  know  the  mind  and  heart  of  another;  hence  arise 
misunderstandings  and  distrust,  even  at  times  among  those 
best  loved.  If  we  recognize  fully  the  undeniable  fact  that  there 
must  necessarily  be  great  differences  of  opinion  regarding  God, 
his  nature,  and  our  attitude  and  duties  toward  him,  we  shall 
see  how  necessary  it  is  that  great  rehgious  teachers  should 
arise  at  all  stages  of  the  world's  history  to  shape  the  views  of 
humanity  on  these  vital  questions. 


The  Universality  op  Jesus*  Principles  of  Life  143 

All  Christian  people  of  all  denominations  have  accepted 
as  their  own,  Jesus'  teachings  regarding  the  nature  of  God. 
God  is  to  them  a  loving,  beneficent  intelHgence,  who  looks 
upon  men  as  a  father  looks  upon  his  children.  This  conception 
of  God  comes  to  us  from  Jesus.  While  the  ancient  Jewish 
prophets  in  many  respects  had  a  similar  view,  none  of  them 
developed  the  conception  as  thoroughly  as  did  Jesus.  He  has 
thus  become  to  all  Christians,  and  to  humanity  at  large  as 
rapidly  as  they  come  into  sympathetic  touch  with  his  views, 
the  supreme  interpreter  of  God  to  man.  We  know  God  pri- 
marily, almost  solely,  through  him.  In  him  Kved  the  spirit  of 
God.  Only  through  the  hfe  of  a  human  being  on  earth  could 
we  learn  the  spirit  of  God  in  such  a  way  that  it  could  exert  its 
full  influence  upon  us.  He  thus  becomes  to  us  all  our  God  in 
man  and  in  him  we  see  and  learn  God's  nature  and  God's  will. 
It  is  Uterally  and  psychologically  true  that  when  we  have  seen 
him  we  have  seen  the  Father.  We  might  take  an  additional 
step  and  say  that  it  is  only  through  him  that  men  have  seen 
the  Father  in  the  sense  in  which  Jesus  himself  saw  him.  Men 
in  other  times  and  in  all  stages  of  civilization  have  thought 
that  they  have  seen  God,  but  they  have  not  seen  God  as  Jesus 
saw  him.  And,  as  Paul  said,  it  is  this  unknown  God  that  Jesus 
has  interpreted  to  men. 

In  shaping  the  conduct  of  men,  which  would  have  the  more 
beneficent  influence,  a  behef  in  the  miraculous  birth  of  Jesus 
or  a  belief  in  his  oneness  of  spirit  with  God?  In  what  sense 
may  we  properly  speak  of  Socrates,  Confucius,  or  Mohammed  as 
interpreters  of  God  to  men,  or  as  divine  in  their  natures?  Are 
their  relations  to  the  reUgious  beliefs  of  their  followers  different 
in  kind  or  in  degree  from  those  of  Jesus  to  his  followers?  Shall 
we  say  that  they  are  not  interpreters  of  God  to  men,  or  that 
they  are  false  interpreters,  or  that  they  are  less  accurate  and 
less  worthy  interpreters  than  Jesus?  What  are  the  grounds  of 
your  judgment? 

IV. 
The  Complete  Harmonizer  of  Man  with  God. 

If  we  believe  that  Jesus  possessed  to  the  full  the  normal 
attributes  of  humanity  and  that  he  likewise  so  possessed  the 
attributes  of  God  that  he  could  truly  say,  *'I  am  in  the  Father 
and  the  Father  in  me;  when  you  have  seen  me,  you  have  seen 


144  Jesus*  Principles  op  Livmo 

the  Father,'^  is  it  not  clear  that  we  all,  with  our  human  frailties, 
may  likewise  have  in  some  degree  a  share  in  the  divine  attri- 
butes? In  our  English  language  the  word  God  is  derived  from 
the  same  Anglo-Saxon  source  as  the  word  good.  In  consequence, 
we  normally  think  of  goodness  as  the  chief  attribute  of  God, 
though  we  also  normally  think  of  supreme  knowledge  and 
power  as  his  attributes.  From  observation  of  nature  and  from 
philosophical  speculation  in  all  stages  of  the  world's  history, 
men  have  looked  upon  their  Divinity  as  possessing  to  some 
extent  at  least  the  attributes  of  power  and  of  knowledge.  In 
many  cases  they  have  felt  that  the  power  was  limited  by  some 
other  even  greater  power,  such  as  Fate,  and  that  the  knowl- 
edge was  so  limited  that  even  human  beings  might  deceive 
the  gods.  It  is  from  the  Jews,  primarily,  that  Christians  have 
derived  the  conception  of  the  one  God,  maker  of  heaven  and 
earth,  creator  of  nature's  unchanging  laws,  and  in  consequence, 
the  all-knowing  as  well  as  all-powerful  God.  The  earlier 
prophets  did  not  represent  Jehovah  as  supreme  in  goodness 
toward  the  enemies  of  his  chosen  people  or  at  times  to  the 
Hebrews  themselves.  He  might  be  cruel  and  revengeful. 
Though  some  of  the  later  prophets  emphasized  strongly  the 
beneficence  and  goodness  of  God,  it  has  been  primarily  through 
the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus  that  men  have  learned  to  know 
and  worship  God  as  the  supreme  source  of  goodness,  never 
cruel,  never  vindictive,  never  imposing  punishments  upon  his 
human  children,  only  permitting  them  to  suffer  the  natural 
consequences  of  a  violation  of  his  unchanging  laws.  Endowed 
as  human  beings  are  with  intelligence,  he  has  made  them  com- 
petent to  search  into  these  laws  and  to  understand  something 
of  their  nature.  As  in  the  physical  realm  it  is  possible  for  men, 
as  they  slowly  learn  the  workings  of  nature's  laws,  so  to  adapt 
thwnselves  as  to  be  benefited  by  them,  so  likewise  in  the  realm 
of  mind  and  soul  we  may  place  ourselves  in  harmony  with  the 
divine  laws  and  thus  become  better  and  happier  men  and  women. 
In  this  realm  of  the  mind  and  spirit  Jesus  has  been  our  great 
teacher  —  one  may  almost  say  our  only  teacher  —  in  bringing 
about  this  harmony  between  the  will  of  men  and  the  wiU  of 
God.  If  we  study  the  life  of  Jesus,  with  an  understanding  of 
the  relation  of  his  Ufe  to  God's  will,  we  may  through  the  influ- 
ence of  his  spirit  so  put  ourselves  into  harmony  with  God's  laws 
and  God's  spirit  as  interpreted  by  Jesus,  that  we  shall  be  regen- 


The  Universalitt  of  Jesus*  Principles  op  Life  145 

erated  and  gradually  acquire  more  and  more  of  the  divine 
attributes.  The  life  of  Jesus  has  made  this  seem  possible.  His 
teachings  and  his  life  have  shown  the  way.  ^' I  am  the  way, 
the  truth,  and  the  life.'* 


Does  a  thief  best  overcome  his  propensity  to  steal  through 
avoiding  opportunities  to  steal,  or  strongly  willing  that  he  will 
not  steal  when  an  opportimity  offers,  or  through  fixing  his 
attention  upon  the  moral  and  social  law  which  shows  the  evil 
consequences  of  a  dishonest  life  and  the  good  consequences  of 
an  honest  life? 

When  a  man  tries  to  harmonize  his  actions  with  the  moral 
law  as  weU  as  with  the  physical  laws  of  nature  is  this  harmoniz- 
ing act  a  matter  of  will,  or  of  knowledge,  or  of  both?  How 
far  is  it  possible  to  avoid  the  suffering  arising  from  a  violation 
of  nature's  laws  by  fixing  one's  attention  upon  the  moral  and 
spiritual  nature  of  man  and  ignoring  physical  law?  How  do 
you  justify  the  sufferings  of  humanity  through  man's  ignorance 
of  nature's  laws;  for  example,  the  sufferings  from  small-pox 
and  cholera  and  yellow  fever,  before  men  understood  the  nature 
of  these  diseases? 


V. 

The  Founder  op  Complete  Democracy. 
A  majority  of  the  great  teachers  who  preceded  Jesus  had 
chiefly  in  mind  the  great  value  to  mankind  of  having  certain 
select  individuals  of  strong  intellect  and  character  as  the  leaders 
of  men,  while  the  great  masses  were  to  be  followers.  Jesus, 
by  recognizing  the  worth  of  the  common  man  and  the  consequent 
necessity  of  training  him  and  of  placing  the  responsibility  upon 
him,  was  the  first  to  proclaim  and  to  institute  complete  democ- 
racy. This  same  principle  of  democracy  applies  also  in  the 
field  of  rehgion  and  of  business.  Democracy  is  not  only  a 
form  of  government  or  political  organization;  it  is  far  more 
than  that :  it  is  a  means  of  social  growth.  It  apparently  provides 
the  only  guarantee  of  stability  in  all  of  the  different  fields  of 
human  activity.  Jesus  became  the  founder  of  essential  democ- 
racy because  he  best  of  aU  understood  hmnan  nature  and  saw 
that  even  the  poorest  man,  the  man  whose  intellect  is  common- 


146  Jesus*  Principles  of  Living 

place,  if  he  can  be  inspired  with  the  proper  spirit  and  with  a 
sense  of  duty  toward  God  and  of  service  to  his  fellow  men, 
becomes  a  real  factor  in  society.  In  doing  his  duty  he  becomes 
content  to  do  his  work;  and  he  is  freed  from  the  spirit  of  revolt 
so  long  as  he  is  in  a  position  to  render  his  best  service. 

It  has  not  been  so  fully  recognized  in  the  past  as  it  is  cer- 
tain to  be  in  the  future  that  this  spirit  of  democracy  is  applicable 
also  in  business.  In  any  business  organization  there  are  various 
tasks  to  be  performed.  Each  man  must  do  his  work  in  his  own 
department  to  the  best  advantage,  if  the  co-ordinate  work  of 
all  is  to  secure  the  best  results.  In  the  management  of  a 
railroad  we  need  not  merely  a  board  of  directors,  a  chief  engi- 
neer, locomotive  engineers  and  firemen,  but  also  conductors, 
shop  men  and  section  hands.  The  work  must  be  co-ordinated 
by  the  comparatively  few  men  at  the  head  of  the  organization, 
but  if  the  work  is  to  be  successful,  each  man  within  his  own 
field  must  do  his  work  well.  No  man  will  do  his  work  to  the 
best  advantage  unless  he  feels  his  responsibility.  He  cannot 
be  trained  to  the  best  advantage  unless  he  is  given  the  oppor- 
tunity of  thinking  out  for  himself  the  ways  in  which  he  can 
best  do  his  own  work.  Even  a  section  hand  has  a  choice  as  to 
where  and  how  he  will  use  his  shovel,  pick  and  sledge.  If  he 
feels  that  the  choice  is  given  him  and  if  he  can  be  rewarded  in 
proportion  to  the  results  obtained,  he  will  accomplish  more 
and  he  will  have  a  more  willing  spirit  than  if  he  works  abso- 
lutely under  orders.  This  placing  of  responsibility  upon  each 
workman  in  his  own  field  of  activity  is  not  only  in  accordance 
with  the  essential  spirit  of  democracy  which  Jesus  taught,  but 
it  is  also  the  most  practical  way  of  securing  the  best  business 
results.  Even  when  working  with  automatic  machines  much 
depends  upon  the  care,  the  attention,  and  the  faithfulness  of 
the  workman.  Often  without  further  direction  a  change  in  the 
spirit  of  workmen  has  increased  the  output  of  an  establishment 
twenty-five  per  cent  or  fifty  per  cent  or  even  more. 

If  taught  to  share  responsibility  and  therefore  to  think 
about  their  work,  laborers  will  secure  a  business  education 
attainable  in  no  other  way.  The  continual  habit  of  thinking 
about  their  work  also  develops  them  intellectually  and  improves 
their  skill,  making  them  in  consequence  far  more  productive. 
Again,  with  the  consciousness  of  their  own  growth  and  with  the 
increased  income  that  comes  with  their  improvement  in  pro- 


The  Universality  op  Jesus'  Principles  of  Life  147 

ductive  capacity,  there  normally  comes  a  feeling  of  contentment 
with  their  position. 

We  shall,  therefore,  in  the  future,  when  the  importance  of 
industrial  democracy  is  fully  recognized,  hear  much  less  of 
unrest  among  working  men.  There  will  be  fewer  strikes;  there 
will  be  much  greater  stability  in  business  and  a  vast  increase 
in  production.  The  form  of  business  organization,  Uke  the 
form  of  political  organization,  is  not  so  essential  as  is  the  proper 
spirit  on  the  part  of  the  individuals  concerned.  The  final  and 
lasting  solution  of  labor  difficulties  and  the  attainment  of  real 
industrial  democracy  will  come  only  through  a  readjustment 
that  will  develop  the  right  spirit  of  individuals. 

Normally,  of  course,  with  the  increase  in  output  that  comes 
from  the  improved  spirit  in  workmen  will  go  an  increase  in  their 
share  of  the  product.  Such  an  increase  may  come  through 
what  is  often  called  profit  sharing,  but  which  ought  to  be  really 
a  share  in  the  value  of  the  increase  of  the  total  product 
brought' about  in  part  by  their  own  better  work. 

The  new  spirit,  too,  will  lead  naturally,  as  experience  in 
many  cases  has  already  shown,  to  a  sharing  with  the  workmen 
of  the  responsibiUties  of  management  in  those  fields  in  which 
they  are  concerned  and  fitted  to  direct,  such  as  matters  of 
working  conditions,  safety,  sanitation,  hours  of  labor,  wages. 
With  the  right  spirit  on  the  part  of  employers  and  workmen, 
such  changes  will  readily  come.  Without  such  a  spirit,  these 
methods  will  not  succeed.  The  right  spirit  is  the  essential 
condition  and  factor  in  success. 


Why  is  slave  labor  industrially  unprofitable?  Are  intel- 
ligence and  a  habit  of  thinking  on  the  part  of  wage-earners 
subversive  or  promotive  of  discipline  and  co-operation  and 
efficiency?  Does  thinking  among  workmen  hinder  or  favor 
team  work  ? 

VI. 

The  Eternal  Cosmopolitan. 
Emphasis  should  be  placed  upon  the  universality  of  these 
principles  of  Jesus  which  are  the  result  of  his  penetrating, 
thorough  insight  into  human  nature,    There  has  been  criticism, 


148  Jesus*  Principles  op  Living. 

and  just  criticism,  of  cosmopolitanism  as  compared  with  patriot- 
ism. No  man  is  able  to  work  most  helpfully  for  the  world 
unless  he  demonstrates  first  his  abihty  to  work  well  for  his 
own  people  and  his  own  nation.  It  is  primarily  through  his 
own  nation  that  he  can  affect  the  welfare  of  other  nations. 
He  who  serves  best  his  own  country  will  serve  best  the  world. 
He  can  serve  best  the  world  if  his  principles  of  living  are  laid  so 
deep  in  human  nature  that  they  satisfy  all  men  in  all  countries. 

Human  nature  is  much  the  same  everywhere;  nevertheless 
we  must  recognize  to  the  full  the  varied  traits  and  customs  of 
different,  peoples  and  races.  In  some,  owing  to  customs  and 
training,  certain  motives  are  relatively  strong  and  others 
relatively  weak;  but  fundamentally  all  men  are  so  alike  that 
they  recognize  the  basic  principles  that  Jesus  taught. 
'  ^  There  are  no  races  of  men  who  do  not  appreciate  the  doc- 
trine that  the  individual  man,  however  poor,  is  of  untold 
value  in  the  sight  of  God.  There  are  no  races  of  men  who  do 
not  realize  that  truth  and  fair  deahng  are  beneficial  in  the  end, 
although  there  are  great  differences  among  nations  as  regards 
their  trustworthiness  in  business  affairs;  some  lay  far  greater 
emphasis  upon  courtesy  and  good  manners  than  upon  strict 
truthfulness  in  speech. 

It  is  universally  true  that,  as  individuals  have  placed 
upon  them  in  the  measure  of  their  capacity  to  bear  it,  the 
responsibility  for  their  own  work,  this  responsibihty  becomes 
a  means  of  training  them  and  a  method  by  which  they  are 
developed  into  stronger  and  better  human  beings.  There  are 
no  peoples  who  do  not  in  the  long  run  appreciate  the  spirit  of 
unselfishness,  although  there  are  few  people  of  any  race  who 
practice  the  spirit  of  unselfishness  to  so  great  a  degree  as  would 
be  desirable. 

The  rapid  growth  of  the  Christian  religion  throughout 
the  world  among  all  peoples  and  races  proves  beyond  question 
the  universal  soundness  of  its  principles.  That  Jesus'  basic 
principles  of  living,  as  presented  to  the  non-Christian  world, 
have  in  many  cases  been  overlooked  or  obscured  by  denomina- 
tional differences  must  be  frankly  admitted.  When  these 
principles  are  presented  in  their  simphcity  and  when  due 
emphasis  is  laid  upon  Jesus'  teachings  as  a  basis  for  Hving  and 
for  the  organization  of  human  society,  it  is  certain  that  his 
religion  will  extend  far  more  rapidly. 


The  Univeesalitt  op  Jesxjs'  Principles  op  Lipb  149 

The  universality  of  Jesus'  principles  points  not  only  to  the 
brotherhood  of  men  in  all  their  different  fields  of  activity  in  a 
community,  but  to  the  brotherhood  of  men  of  all  countries. 
Furthermore,  the  appKcation  of  these  principles  means  the 
training  of  nobler  men.  As  men  come  to  recognize  more  and 
more  the  benefit  of  intimate  relations  one  with  another,  and  as 
they  gradually  grow  into  nobler  men,  we  shall  find  the  democ- 
racy of  God  extending  fronL  individual  churches  and  local 
communities  to  widely  separated  nations,  imtil  eventually 
there  will  be  ushered  in  the  democracy  of  God  throughout  the 
world,  a  democracy  not  merely  of  men  such  as  now  exist, 
but  ultimately  a  world  democracy  of  more  Godlike  men. 


To  what  extent  should  children  be  made  to  bear  respon- 
sibility? Why  is  the  power  of  choice  essential  to  the  develop- 
ment of  strong  character?    May  a  strong  character  be  bad? 

Is  perpetual  world  peace  more  likely  to  come  through  a 
league  of  strong  independent  nations  or  through  a  powerful 
world  state  dominating  weak  nations?  What  other  alternative 
can  you  suggest? 

Subjects  for  Further  Study, 

(1)  Compare  Jesus'  view  of  man's  ability  to  determine  hia  own 
spiritual  fate  with  that  of  William  James. 

(2)  How  would  you  fix  the  proper  hmits  of  community  ownership 
and  management  of  wealth?  In  reaching  your  decision  compare  the  views 
of  the  Sociahst,  Morris  Hillquit,  and  Professor  Taussig. 

(3)  How  far  will  the  nature  of  the  business  organization  of  any  society 
affect  its  pohtical  organization,  and  vice  versa? 

(4)  What  would  be  the  effect  on  international  relations  if  all  people 
were  imselfish? 

(5)  In  what  measure  is  selfishness  the  cause  of  strife  both  between 
individuals  and  nations? 


